Born of Legend
by Adara Foxglove
Summary: The Trisani people are little more than a myth in the Ichidian Universe, gifted with powers that have led to slavery and extinction. Nero Scalera is a powerful full-blooded male Trisani, and he knows what it's like to live with a collar around his throat. After a series of unfortunate events, he finds himself on the other end of the leash, with a woman who is a step up from legend.
1. Chapter 1

**As promised, Chapter One, on this sunny and late Monday evening. I was hoping to do it earlier in the morning-ish, but I had an exam, and then a make-up test I had to take. Although, to be honest I probably won't be up until around noon on Mondays until I start college soooo… yeah. **

**ANYWHO! Bon appétit mes chéris, and drop me a line on what you think of it.**

**Also! Nykyrian, Syn and Hauk are not mine. Wish that they were, because who wouldn't want big sexy men, right? But, they are the mind babies of Sherrilyn Kenyon, hence the reason she's a famous author and I'm a po' white kid paying out the ass to go to college this fall. On the plus side, I get to frolic in the trees.**

**Ach, okay, collecting my ADD and wrapping this up. Um, review, favorite, all that jazz? Spread the beauty to your friends!**

**Much love,**

**Adara.**

Chapter One: Fight and Flight

The streets were crowded at this time of day, people milling around in the warm summer heat as they headed to and fro on their daily business. There were people of all different shapes and sizes, with a startling myriad of different hair colors and skin tones. But today, for the sake of the story that is going to be told, we are going to focus on one person in specific. A thin woman of average height stood in front of a stall that was filled with ripe apples, inspecting one of the ruby fruits with a thoughtful expression on her face. She was dressed in civilian clothes; a baggy, long sleeved shirt and a pair of crème colored shorts that rode up above her knees, stopping mid-thigh. Her feet were clad in light, flimsy sandals, and a pair of darkly tinted glasses was pushed up high on her head, holding back a mane of curly red hair.

A welcomed breeze caught a few strands of the fiery locks and lifted them coyly into the sky, causing the woman to adjust her hold on the apple in order to push them back into place. In her other hand she held a basket filled with a motley arrangement of vegetables, and she brought the apple up close to her bright blue eyes before nodding almost imperceptibly. After passing some unknown initiation, the apple was placed in the basket with meticulous care, resting atop a heart of lettuce and a few cuts of rosemary and mint. The woman lifted another apple, worrying her bottom lip as she went through the same procedure. Spinning it over in her hands, she observed from every angle with the scrutiny of a hawk, before her head snapped up in surprise as her back pocket vibrated violently. Dropping the apple in her basket, she removed her mobile link and opened the text that she had just received.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

_Message from: Kip;_

_The supplies are going to be loaded soon. We just got the repairs done on your ship so wrap up any business you have in the next few days and get back to base._

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Oh how she loved it when he used that demanding tone of text with her. Making sure he knew that in her reply, Elora grinned as a wave of giddiness rushed over her. She could finally get her ass back in a freighter and actually _do_ something. Idle time was never something she enjoyed, and at the moment she was half tempted to run naked through the streets screaming at the top of her lungs.

And wouldn't that be quite a sight?

_Please be Paradise City, please be Paradise City! _She thought excitedly, moving down the display stalls. Paradise City was dangerous, dirty and right up her alley.

Elora paused at the sight of melons, unable to resist the pull of what had to be one of her favorite foods. There was movement behind her, and lifting up one of the heavier globes under the pretense of searching for soft spots, she cut her eyes back to see who was following her. There was another flash of motion, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she felt someone with malicious intent close in behind her. Feigning ignorance, she waited calmly for the glint of metal that signaled this would be assassin was about to strike. At the last moment it came and Elora whipped her body to the side. Instead of burying itself in between her ribs, the knife sliced deep into the melon she held, spraying its juice all over her.

_Gah, how rude!_ She thought in annoyance, grabbing her attacker by the wrist. Spinning around with reflexes honed from years of fighting, she caught his other hand, which had been reaching around to strike her. For the briefest moment her blue eyes locked with a pair of emotionless brown ones, and she got a good look at the idiot who was trying to kill her. Giving him her best shit-eating grin, Elora head-butted the assassin hard and watched as he stumbled backwards. That would no doubt end up biting her in the ass once the adrenaline wore off, but watching the arrogant expression on her attacker's face made it worthless.

The assassin yanked at his knife, before reaching down to draw a blaster in his other hand. Elora watched with an amused expression on her face, before her glasses chose that moment to fall into her face, pulling her hair down with it and obstructing her vision. A long string of curses left her mouth then and she struggled to clear her vision while dropping her groceries and straining her hearing. The small click of a trigger being pulled indicated that he was firing the blaster, and the sounds of screaming could be heard. Whoever this idiot was, he was a piss poor assassin. She felt the line of fire as soon as it left the weapon; it felt as if there was a harsh tightening of the left skin of her arm. Ducking away, she threw out her hand and the streak arced against an unseen energy to collide harmlessly against the brick wall behind her.

_The hell, is the League testing out their newbies on me?_ Finally untangling her glasses from her hair, she whipped her head up angrily to see the astounded assassin. Her eyes were no longer blue but a shade of red just off of cherry that stood out starkly against her tanned skin tone. Pushing her hair away from her face, she smirked evilly as she approached him.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret sweetheart. Having more weapons doesn't give you the advantage. You only have the advantage if you know what you're doing." He fired again with his blaster—not doing much to alleviate the chaotic state that the streets were in—and with ease Elora dodged the strike. Moving with a quickness she grabbed the gun hand and jerked back. The assassin growled, striking out with his knife and slicing deep into her side, rending her shirt. Ignoring the bite of pain that the metal caused, she slammed him into the ground and effectively removed the blaster. Kicking it away, she twisted his arm behind his back, fisting her hand in his light brown hair.

"That was my favorite shirt!" She growled, punctuating each word by beating his head against the hard ground. Snatching the knife up, she placed the tip to the base of his neck before slamming down, effectively severing the brain stem and killing him. Blood trickled down the gash on her stomach and she looked at it in annoyance before sending a bit of psychic energy to the wound to knit it shut. It was stupid to assume that the bastard was alone so she took off down the street, pulling out her mobile.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

_Message to: Kip, Syn;_

_League's hounding me; I'm off the grid for a few days. Find me when you have the ship ready. Until then I'll try not to die._

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

The blast of air conditioning was a welcome relief to the sun's blistering rays and she forced her steps to slow into a calm stride as soon as she crossed the hangar doors. A quick look around confirmed her suspicions that there were a group of unpleasant people paying particularly close attention to her little transport vehicle. Luckily for her, there were literally dozens of other ships for her to choose from. Bright blue eyes that had quickly lost their ruby colorings scanned the area, alighting on a particularly menacing, black battle ship. Just one look at the engines, and the cannons and she knew it would go fast and pack a terrible punch. Making her way to the secluded channel where the ship was waiting, she kept a pleasant smile on her face as she surreptitiously wiped the bloody trail off of her face.

She followed the maintenance workers that were heading to the entry ramp and pulled a quick illusion over herself to make anyone look the other way. She watched as the hatch lowered and stuck close behind the two workers that stepped onto it. Waiting until it fully closed and they were out of sight, she pulled a knife out of the holster hidden on her back and pressed it into the throat of the tall blonde.

"Make one move and your throat is slit. And if your friend here does anything his brains will be splattered across the wall sooner than you can blink, got it?" She growled, voice low and threatening. She was pleased when they both nodded, trembling with fear.

"Good. Now, you're both going to walk off of this ship quietly, and if I hear so much as one peep from you, you're both dead." Stepping into the main hull, she watched as the two workers went back down to leave. A fast sweep of the plans assured her that she was alone, and that the ship was fully fueled and ready for lift off. With an evil grin she made her way to the bridge and dropped into the navigator's chair. Hitting a button, she brought up charts and launch sequences before entering in a set of coordinates. Entering in the preliminaries, she fired up the engines and grinned in victory. Punching in a launch sequence, she took the controls and lifted off. And oh baby, the ship ran smoothly and beautifully. But then, that was what she expected from what looked like a relatively new Pritan fighter.

_Damn damn damn, I am lucky. Couldn't have done any better than if I'd nabbed one of Nyk's ships._ She thought with glee, leaning back in her seat. It would be a long way to her little flat in Ritadaria, so she may as well enjoy the ride. What she didn't notice however was the that a tiny microchip lit up under her seat and started blinking red. Also, as she leaned back in the pilot chair, a tiny black button was punched into the collar of her shirt.

**Meanwhile at the Sentella Headquarters:**

"Fuck." Nykyrian rubbed his forehead, putting away his mobile and returning to the log of the ship that was being loaded. Hauk passed a curious look at him, before turning to bark orders to the crew that were currently running another diagnostic sweep on the _Endeavor._ They nodded worriedly, before scurrying off to do their tasks.

"Problems?" He asked, watching as his friend, one of the founders of the Sentella, clenched his jaw.

"I just got a message from Elora. There was just a League attempt on her life and she said she's going off the grid." That earned a low whistle from the Andarion, whose hand instantly went to the handle of his blaster.

"Someone took a shot at Mama Bear?" There was a low, protective growl in his voice, one that would be shared by almost all of the people in the Sentella. Since the day she'd pulled Nykyrian back from the brink of death, Elora had been a very important person in all of the Sentella's activities. Though not an official member, she never hesitated to make their lives a little more bearable, whether it was by making runs for them, cooking, or providing someone with a safe place to stay. She was aptly called Mama Bear due to her fierce, protective nature over them, and it meant more to some of them than others. Especially the ones who had never had a real mother, and had been used and kicked by everyone else.

"Kip! Did you see this message?" Syn called, running up to them with a worried look in his dark eyes.

"From Elora? Yeah. I need you to go tell the others, I want as many as we can spare looking for her. We need to find her as soon as possible." He replied, turning back to the shipping manifests.

"Don't worry, we'll find her. We're the best of the best here." Strangely enough Syn's words did little to comfort him, and Nykyrian couldn't help the unpleasant feeling he was developing in the pit of his stomach.


	2. Chapter 2: The Hunt

**Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up and feel like doing nothing more exciting than flopping around in your bed like a lazy bum? Today was one of those days for me, unfortunately however I had to clean up after a party and go out and help some friends get ready to move. So, once again a bit later than I had originally planned for, here is chapter two. I may or may not be able to upload for a couple weeks as I am going on vacation and won't be back until around the 4****th**** of July.**

**As such, I hope you enjoy.**

**And also, Nero is not mine. Neither are Nykyrian, Syn or Hauk though they don't make any more appearances for a little while. **

Chapter Two: The Hunt.

The harsh beeping of the theft alarms drew the attention of a tiny, balding man named Mkayle. He had the illustrious task of keeping track of many of the small details of the life of Nero Scalera. It had taken a very trying interview process from the man his self before being hired on as a glorified butler, but over the long years of his service Mkayle had proven himself to be invaluable.

"Messere, there has been a report of one of your ships being stolen." He called, standing in the doorway of Nero's study, carrying a folder holding all of the information. Of course, his boss did nothing but continue to flip through the page of an old book. The only indication to his mood was the sudden pop and hiss of the landlink beside him, and the flicker of the lights.

"Is that so? And just who was the idiot who did that, do you know?" He asked lightly, still keeping his steel gray eyes on the printed pages. His thumb started to brush across the leather backing almost subconsciously, a habit when he was deep in thought.

"There is no identification as of yet, but the tracking beacons have been successfully deployed, and the thief was tracked to a small flat in Ritadaria." Mkayle answered, finally making the man lift his head.

"Well then… Mkayle, push aside all of my meetings for the next few days, I'm going hunting." Standing from his seat, Nero placed his book back on the shelf with meticulous care, making sure that it was perfectly straight and orderly before reaching over to shut off the desk lamp and grab his landlink from beside it. He didn't allow weapons in his study, because of the harm they could do to his books, and though many would think that foolish of him to leave himself undefended, it didn't matter. For, as a full-blooded Trisani male, he was never undefended. And God help the idiot who damaged even one page in this room… there was nothing he cared for more in his life than these books, save perhaps his friends, they were the ultimate luxury to him. As an escaped slave, he hadn't been allowed the knowledge of how to read while in servitude. For, if a slave started to read, they would start to think, and we couldn't have that.

Sneering, he left his study, closing and locking the door, before renewing the ward he kept around the door. A combination of both technology and Trisani protection, not even Syn could have gotten in there with his hacking skills. His next stop was to his bedroom, where several blasters and knives were waiting, along with his custom Armstitch uniform. Quickly changing, he kept his back to the mirror in the room, doing his best to avoid looking at the scars on his back. They were ugly reminders of a past that he couldn't afford to forget, and a past that was what drove him to pursue the career of a Tracker.

Tucking his knives into the sheathes that were hidden all over his body, he pulled on the light blue button-up shirt, and the pair of black slacks that were required. Fastening his blaster into the holster, he strapped the backup into his boot before looking around. Last but not least, he pulled on a pair of black sunglasses, heading next for his office. Unlike his study, his office was fully decked out in a technologic wonderland of security monitors and computers. Sitting down at the central mainframe, he pulled up the tracking codes he would need to activate the GPS chip that was installed secretly in each and every one of his ships. Each one belonging to a different make, model and categorized by docking area, it took only a minute or less for him to access the information on the black fighter that had been stolen.

Entering the tracking code, he watched as several points highlighted on the map of the universe, jumping around from planet to planet before it zoomed in on none other than Ritadaria. Hissing in annoyance, he watched as it zoomed into a street view of a set of slums, before landing on a lot numbered XE24009. A little text bubble appeared, giving him the street address and the apartment number—18C—along with the name of the person the apartment was registered to.

"Moyra Torsney huh? Well Miss Torsney, you have stolen from the wrong person." He mused, a ruthless smile on his face. Thieves were few and far between for him these days, and it was refreshing to get one, least of all one who was wanted in pretty much every system in the Ichidian universe. It was time to go hunting and lucky him he was feeling pretty well charged on his powers. The poor bitch wouldn't know what hit her until it was too late. Oh well, he was beyond sympathy now.

Closing his eyes, the steel gray turned to dark red as he gathered his energies around him, focusing on the address listed below. He might just bring the girl in alive and have her tossed into jail for making him come to Ritadaria. It was by far one of his least favorite places to go, hell he would prefer Rook to that hellhole any day! He had bad memories on Ritadaria, and more than just a few people who wanted him dead on the planet.

Teleporting was… an interesting sensation to say the least, and it felt as if he were being forced into a little rubber tube. The compression made breathing all but impossible, and when that was finally over, it felt like he was being jabbed by pins and needles. Not at all a pleasant thing, but luckily it only lasted for a few moments. Even less pleasant than the experience of teleporting was the apartment he found himself in. It was bare, with basically the minimum necessities. A small kitchen that contained a small fridge, a sink and a stove. The two cabinets there were hung open on broken hinges revealing a cracked bowl and a dented tin cup, and a box of crackers. The tiles were worn and chipped, and the wallpaper might have been hideous if it weren't for the fact that it was so faded that the patterns couldn't even be seen.

Pathetic.

He might have considered just leaving at the sorry state of the place, but then he was never one to back down from a fight. The sound of muttering drew his attention to the door in the back of the kitchen and, straining his hearing, Nero picked up the faintest melody of rain hitting glass. Hand on his blaster; he crept to the hallway that led to the bedroom, steps lighter than the air. There was no lock on the door, which he had expected, and his hand lightly closed around the knob. It glowed red hot, instantly searing his hand and making the Trisani snatch it back. Eyes narrowed, he healed it with a passing thought before turning his attention fully on the offending handle. Even with his Trisani senses, he could not tell what it was that had made the handhold burn as it did, and that did not sit well with him.

In fact, upon closer inspection he realized that he could not pick up on the thoughts of any sort of life form in the room, though he was positive that there was someone in there. That effective mind blockage was something he'd only experienced a few times before, and that had been during his sparse interactions with his fellow species. An interesting development if this woman was Trisani, but now he just had to find out a way to get behind that door. It stood to reason that if there was some sort of ward on the doorknob then there would be one on the door. Pursing his lips, Nero studied the door for the briefest of seconds before holding his palm flat up, parallel to the pane of wood. Clenching his hand into a fist, the wood splintered and crushed, revealing a pitch black room. The natural melody of the thunderstorm rolled and crashed through the room, despite the clear night sky whose stars glittered through the closed window. Nero took his first, cautious step into the room, reaching out to the wall for a light switch. He could hear the sound of slow, even breathing, but the slightest sound of rustling fabric had his entire body tensing. When nothing more happened after a few minutes he relaxed his stance slightly and continued his search for the light switch.

It was strange how dark the room was, even to his own eyes, and he strained to dilate his pupils in order to take in more light. He should have been able to see in the dark, but it was like this room was a void of all light. The sheets shifted again, and a flash of blue iris was the only warning he had before a heavy, body sized force collided with him. There was the sound of cursing in a language he didn't know—which was strange considering he knew almost every language out there—and the lights turned on , illuminating the room and the woman who was poised on top of him.

He was floored by her beauty; she had a diamond shaped face topped with a wild mane of curly red hair. Her eyes were the right shade of blue to drive a man to insanity, and her lips promised pleasure every step of the way. He almost groaned when her little pink tongue darted out to moisten her upper lip, before she pressed the blade of her knife to a certain part of his anatomy that was currently developing a mind of his own. Especially considering the fact that she was dressed in nothing more than a sports bra and a pair of boxer shorts that exposed a tribal bear tattoo resting on her hip.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice a husky contralto that made that knife press very uncomfortably against him.

"I could ask you the same thing, but I already know who you are; you're the broad who was stupid enough to steal from me." He growled, shoving her off of him with a blast of mental energy. He watched as she flew backwards, a surprised expression on her pretty face as he scrambled to his feet, eyes flashing their characteristic dark red.

"Ah, you're the owner of that pretty little Pritan fighter… well if you want it back I'm sure you can find the pieces scattered around here somewhere." She smirked, her own eyes flickering colors. Unlike his own however, they were a few shades brighter, which was something he was not used to. Trisani all had dark red eyes when they used their power, the color of dried blood, but hers reminded him of red hot metal.

"You're going to pay for that bitch. I'm taking you in." He sneered, switching his blaster to stun before aiming it dead center at her chest. To his surprise, the woman simply smirked, running a hand through her hair before resting it on her bare hip. Nero had to fight to keep his eyes from trailing down her almost nude body, his gaze locked on hers. Of course his imagination had no problems filling the blanks in for his mind.

_Don't go there idiot… this one is a very dangerous enemy._ He thought savagely, mentally berating himself.

"You're going to need a lot more than that cute little toy to take me in sweetheart." She grinned, inspecting her hand nonchalantly. Nero frowned at her blasé tone, instantly turning a suspicious eye to her as his finger tightened around the trigger ever so slightly.

"And what makes you think you can stop me?" He demanded, eyes flicking to the window for just a second. He had thought he'd seen a shadow move, but it must have just been his imagination.

"Easy," the smirk on her face had spread from arrogant to demented as her slender fingers curved into claws. "I can do this."

In the cradle of her palm a ball of blue flames burst into being, lapping at her fingers as it grew in intensity. She pulled her hand back as if to throw it, and Nero saw an unmistakable movement outside the window. After that, a few things happened at once.

Just as the criminal prepared to strike with her flame—and he was still having a hard time figuring out _that_ little nugget—Nero pulled the trigger of his blaster, sending a blue line of stunning fire straight at her. It hit it's mark, but no sooner had she hit the ground than someone crashed through the window, sending shards of glass everywhere. He was dressed from head to toe in black, with a full facial mask that only revealed a set of fiery red eyes that were even lighter than Torsney's. The next thing he noticed was that on the chest of the man's suit a phoenix was painted in swirling red, it's feather's curling around a symbol of a flame.

"Who the fuck are you?" He demanded, an annoyed expression on his face. He didn't know who the newcomer was, but judging by the way he was dressed Nero's money was on an assassin.

"Do not concern yourself with this, _coimhth__í__och._ This one is wanted for greater crimes than you could ever understand. If you interfere, your life will be forfeit." The mysterious stranger answered, his voice rough, and slightly hoarse.

"You're not taking her, this is my mark!" Growling, Nero switched his blaster to kill as his temper flared.

"I am warning you now_ coimhth__í__och, _let me pass in peace." The man pulled out a long, wickedly curved knife that flashed with flecks of blue as he tossed it from hand to hand. Nero rolled his eyes in irritation before opening fire. The assassin managed to dodge most of the attacks, but one hit him full on in the chest, burning a hole in the thin material of his suit. When the flames died down however, the Trisani was surprised to find that there wasn't even a red spot on his skin.

"What in the—" He never had the opportunity to finish the sentence because at that moment the assassin let loose a volley of small fireballs that required his immediate attention. Throwing up a shield, he watched as the flames slammed against them, causing several scorch marks in the room. Watching his enemy with a critical eye, he assessed the man's movements as they circled each other. The assassin seemed to be favoring his left leg more than his right, suggesting a previous injury that was ripe for exploiting.

Keeping the shield around himself, Nero started firing off some rapid shots, doing his best to keep his opponent distracted. With a slight flick of the wrist that was imperceptible to the human eye, he sent a crippling blow of telekinetic energy against his right leg. Rewarded with seeing his opponent crumple to the ground with an agonized screech, he ruthlessly thrust his fist into the man's chest, crushing his still beating heart with his bare hand.

"I don't like it when people get in my way." He whispered, ripping his now bloody hand out and kicking the body to the side. Wiping the blood off on the theif's threadbare sheet, he went over to inspect her unconscious form. She was thin from far too many nights without food and the way her hair spread out around her face it was as if she were wreathed in a halo of fire. The image was broken by the trickle of blood that was running from her split lip, and Nero remembered with disgust just why he was here.

"You have some questions to answer." Tossing her onto the bed, he tied her ankles to the bed, before lifting a strange set of cuffs off of the corpse at his feet. They appeared to be made out of gold, but the metal was far stronger than gold could ever be, and there were runes etched into the surface in what looked like blue stone. Shrugging, he snapped the cuffs around her wrists, before picking up the blade that had would have been used to kill him no doubt. It was silver this time, and the edge was lined with the same, glittering blue material with different runes stamped into them. Frowning, Nero set the knife down well away from where she could reach and went in search of a chair he could sit in while he waited for her to regain consciousness.

_Coimhth__í__och: _Outsider.


	3. Chapter 3: Educational Confrontations

**Well, I am sorry that this is so late, but on the plus side I am typing away busy as a bee on chapters four to have it ready for Monday. After that regular updates shall resume. But, as luck would have it as soon as I got back from vacation, there was a crazy storm of doom and the power went out. Then the internet was down, and come the day we were to have it fixed, my basement caught on fire. So not a good month. -_-' **

**Anyway! Anything written in italics other than character thought, emphasis or memories will have a follow up translation at the end of the chapter, and starting with chapter three, a brief explanation of what how the word or phrase can be transferred in common tongue. Some are obvious; others are a bit more intense, as can be depicted below.**

**As always, I love you all for reading this, and don't forget to fan, favorite, and review. Plus, if you could let me know if there are any grammatical problems, or if anything doesn't quite add up it would be great. I haven't had the time to send this to get edited so you're getting the very first copy. Yaaay!**

**And as a disclaimer, Nero is not mine. Neither is Nykyrian though he is mentioned in passing in this chapter. **

**Much love,**

**Adara.**

**P.S. I forgot to mention this at the start of chapter two, but I hope when you read chapter one, you read the 'Meanwhile at the Sentella Headquarters' line in that awesome comic book announcer voice. I know I said it like that while I was writing it! :3**

Chapter Three: Educational Confrontations.

_What the fuck did I drink? _Elora thought, her head thumping painfully. Actually, every part of her body hurt, to the point where it felt as if she'd been chewed up and spit out by a pack of lorinas. She went to rub at her eyes, only to meet some sort of resistance that drew her up short. Cracking open her eyes, the familiar sight of her dirty ceiling was slightly blurry before it sharpened. Attempting to sit up, she found that movement was almost impossible because her wrists were shackled to the bed post.

"Dafuq…?" She groaned, jerking against her bonds as she willed higher temperatures to her wrists. A vicious, stabbing pain lanced through her, and the redhead hissed sharply. Craning her head she glared at the cuffs that were locked around her wrists, eyes narrowing at the blue containment runes that were carved in there. She felt the energy that had been used to create them, and it was like a rough substance that was rubbing her skin raw. Elora went through the events of last night and growled in frustration when she recalled the man whose ship she'd stolen.

"That son of a bitch shot me!" She cried, jerking again at the cuffs.

"Oh good, you're awake. I was worried I was going to nod off myself." A deep voice filled the room, pitched at a low, throaty growl.

"You son of a bitch, you shot me!" Struggling, she craned her neck to glare at him. He was handsome, she had to admit that, with blonde hair and hard gray eyes, but at the moment she wanted to kill him. However, there were more pressing matters, such as how in the hell he'd gotten a hold of a set of Mórraigís cuffs.

"As I recall, you were trying to set me on fire. I don't think you're really in any sort of position to be mad at me for subduing you." Damn, that voice was drier than the desert.

"Let me go." Taking a deep breath, Elora tried to steady the breaths that were coming out in sharp pants. Positions such as the one she was in now never boded well, and had the potential to get really ugly.

"Let you go? You must think me stupid, considering the fact that if I do you would probably turn me into a slice of nice, crispy bacon." He smirked, an evil glint in his eyes. Elora swallowed, her throat starting to burn uncomfortably as she jerked at the cuffs. With her hands bound as they were however, she could do nothing but chafe her wrists.

"What are you, some kind of bounty hunter? Who are you working for _soith_, my mother? Did she hire you to bring me in?" She demanded, working all the while to escape.

"Your mother? Now why would she want you dead? It's strange, I can't get a read on you, but that word, _soith_? It sounds about as strange as what our dead friend there was saying. Tell me Miss Torsney, what is a _coimhth__í__och?"_ Elora froze at his words, partially from his use of her alias but mostly from the botched way he spoke a word of a language she'd hoped never to hear again. Of course then her attention was brought to the sight of the dead body at the foot of her bed, surrounded by an ever expanding pool of blood. Well, that explained how he'd gotten ahold of her restraints.

"You ripped out his heart?" She breathed incredulously, her entire body trembling as she looked at her captor in a new light.

"You answer my question, and I will answer yours." He replied coldly.

"_Coimhth__í__och_, it means outsider. He was coming to kill me… you saved my life." She spat, the burning increasing tenfold.

"I would think that you would be a little more grateful than that." Nero paused, taking a disdainful look around the room. "But then, maybe not. You seem to have very powerful enemies dear woman, what was that trick the two of you did, with the fire? Very interesting to say the least, but I'm sure we will have much time to talk as I'm deciding whether or not to kill you. You did steal from me after all."

"I swear to you, I will break these chains, and I will kill you. _Leis an bhean bheanniagh mar mo fhinn__é, beidh tú__ b__á__s_!" Panic was starting to set in, and tears threatened to prick at her eyes. She'd been free too long to simply be caught like this.

"How rude, I saved your life you know." Nero tsked, rubbing the heel of his hand as it started burning.

"You have damned us both, you stupid man." She murmured, looking down sorrowfully. This caused him to frown, and when he went to pick up the strange knife it felt like he'd tried to grab at the wrong end. A fine red vapor was hovering around his wrist, and before his eyes it seemed to grow in density to form a single band. The weight of a gold cuff dropped onto his arm and he studied the intricate red runes that were artfully scribed into the gold.

"What is this?" He demanded, looking up at the woman who was sporting a matching necklace.

"The cuff around your wrist is the control band of the _bhóna an imithe,_ which is this… thing." She said at last after a hateful glare, pointing to the collar around her neck.

"What is the _bhóna an imithe? _How do I get this off of my arm?" There were no seams in the metal, no catch or apparent spot of weakness for him to break or remove the bracelet.

"It's a slave collar, and you don't get it off. It comes off in a year." The tone of her voice was dead, like an emotionless robot. Nero hissed angrily, energy swirling around him as he tried to rip it off with his powers. The continued failures only made him try harder; use more power, until he felt the stabbing ache in his head, and blood trickling down his nose.

"Trisani! Stop!" The pure desperation and pain in her voice distracted him from the frenzied panic that had set in, and Nero looked up to see what must have been an identical line of blood running from her nose. Her features were pale and pinched, and the collar was glowing angrily.

"As a way to keep the slaves from rebelling, or trying to kill their masters, any pain that is inflicted onto you is transferred to us as well." She panted, eyes drifting shut.

"I don't want this! There has to be some way to remove this thing from me." He spat, wiping the blood away with his sleeve. Even as he said the words, he knew it wasn't. He saw all of the possible outcomes of this, and they all involved this woman. The one where he killed her… that ended with Nykyrian opening up a whole six-pack of whoop-ass on him.

"Curious… most men would jump at the opportunity to have a servant that they don't even have to pay." She cocked her head, watching him with her bright blue eyes. He snarled at her, stalking over to the side of the bed and grabbing her face roughly so that she was looking directly into his own.

"I do not want a slave. I want to rip your ass a new one for stealing, and _destroying_, my ship. Unfortunately, that would bring down the wrath of a certain blonde assassin and I would like to avoid that." He hissed, jerking his hand away and smearing some of the blood against her skin.

"You… you are a strange man." She said at last, after finding her voice. Any doubt she might have had about his words had been erased by the sheer panic in his movements as he tried to remove the control band, and the raw fury that had blazed in his eyes.

"This from the woman who can shoot off fireballs at will. Explain to me how it is you know Nykyrian well enough that he would fly off the deep end over me killing you." He asked, resuming his seat beside the bed.

"How do _you_ know Nykyrian?" A droll look was all she received in response, and Elora sighed as she tried to make herself comfortable.

"Well first off, my name is not Moyra Torsney, its Elora Manningham. I've been really close friends with Nykyrian for a long time, and I've been known to help him out in some things." She answered, shrugging lightly.

"Some things involving the Sentella?" His eyebrow arched as the woman sputtered at his question.

"Um, yes, some things involving the Sentella. Not to say I'm a member—because I'm not—but I run supplies for them to some of the farther out planets." The cuffs along her wrists were starting to really get uncomfortable, and Elora had no doubt that they were leaving red marks on her skin.

"I see… and the fire trick that you and our deceased friend here did? Would you care to explain that?" Elora cocked her head thoughtfully, noticing that he asked her questions, instead of demanding answers.

"I would, if you could please unchain me first though? I have visual aids that would make this answer so much easier to understand." She offered, wiggling her fingers.

"Are you going to try and kill me?" He asked dryly, snatching up the key off the stand.

"Considering that killing you would inevitably kill me too, I can honestly say you're quite safe." She replied, rolling her eyes. She noticed he had no response to that, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he reached over and undid one of the cuffs. He then leaned over across her body to unlock the other one, making her breath stutter out of her lungs at the span of clothed muscle that crossed her vision.

Nero froze, his fingers stilling as he inserted the key into the lock of the handcuff. It had been the small, shuddering gasp from the woman beneath him that had drawn his attention away from his task, and to the fact that barely a few inches separated them. Looking down, he was momentarily distracted by the way her shapely chest rose and fell heavily, and he noticed that she wore a necklace that's pendant was hidden between her breasts. With the softest of growls, he turned his attention away from those shapely mounds, dragging his eyes up towards her face. Her blue eyes met his, pupils wide as she watched him, tense. He could tell that she was trying to steady her breathing and he found himself mesmerized when her tongue darted out to caress a full, lower lip. She winced when it touched against the broken skin of where she'd landed face first after he stunned her. That seemed to break whatever spell had held them, and Nero quickly released her other hand, grabbing the cuffs and unthreading the chain from the poles on the bed.

She waited until the Trisani had moved away from her before sitting up. She rubbed the chaffed skin of her wrists as she swung her legs off the bed and set them lightly on the floor. The chill of the wood immediately had her recoiling, and she sent a wave of heat to her feet before trying to stand again. Her master watched her warily, his body tensed and coiled as if he expected her to strike at any given moment. Shaking her head lightly, she crossed the room quickly, taking great care to avoid any of the blood that was pooled by her bed. Pulling out a medium sized back pack, she reached inside it grabbing a shirt before pulling it on.

"What do you know of the ancient myths and legends of the Eilimhanis solar system?" She asked at last, leaning down next to the dead body and lightly touching its shoulder. With a soft, whispered prayer, she allowed white hot flames to flare around him, incinerating the body within seconds, and drying the blood.

"The Eilimhanis solar system was an eight planet solar system that orbits three suns. Each planet was supposed to represent one of the eight primal elements; earth, air, fire, water, light and shadows, time and emotion." It was a legend, one his parents had told him before bed long ago. Many Trisani believed that they were the closest to the Eilimhanis people, and that was where they'd gotten their powers from.

"Yes, and living on each of those planets were individuals who could wield each of those elements respectively. So is the legend anyway. But the thing is, it is not simply legend, but it is very real." Rooting around in the bag, her fingers closed around what looked like an antique brass sphere that sat on a small cylindrical base. There was a small band that circled around the equator of the sphere that had eight little studs dispersed evenly, before coming to what looked like a lock, with a star shaped keyhole.

"Don't be ridiculous. People have been searching for centuries for any sign of the Eilimhanis people, and have found nothing. Not even a hint of them." Nero scoffed, watching as she pulled at the chain of the necklace she was wearing, a necklace with a small star shaped pendant.

"Really? You just saw me set a man on fire with little more than a passing thought and you think I'm lying?" She did have a point there, but Nero was still skeptical.

"Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace…" He offered, but that sounded weak even to him.

"Right…" Elora drawled, lifting the pendant and inspecting it in the light. The depths of sorrow in her gaze as she watched it spin back and forth on the chain almost stole his breath out of his lungs. "My mother gave me this when I was a little girl, it was a Namesday gift."

Shoving back the painful memories, she sat down cross-legged in the middle of the bed, facing the man who was lounging in the only kitchen chair she had. Fitting the necklace in its adjacent hole, she twisted it exactly ninety degrees counter clockwise, listening as the gears started spinning. Nero watched in mild interest as the top hemisphere spinning, seams appearing in the metal as it bloomed almost like a flower with eight claw shaped wedges. The sphere erupted in sapphire light that, when it died down, surrounded what looked like a miniature model of a solar system.

"Is this?" He began, watching as the three suns spun around a small, pale yellow planet.

"It is. The planet in the center is Iníongrian, the planet of light. You might have guessed because it is in the middle of the three suns. The red one we call Ares, the blue is Vistos, and the yellow one Heres. The point I'm trying to make is that this little red planet, closest to Ares, is called Talasair_, _the planet of fire. I am a Talasairian, capable of wielding the element of fire. Hence the fireball." She nodded, watching as the planets spun slowly.

"This is pretty unbelievable. And yet, I don't sense any deceit from you and I have been given indisputable proof. Very well, I'm going to return to my home, I suppose I have to order a new ship." He shrugged, standing up and brushing off his shirt.

"I have to come with you. The _bhóna an imithe _is a Crafting of all Eilimhanis powers overlaid and controlled by Talasairian abilities. It was an ancient contraption, initially designed as a way to deal with prisoners of war, that I had thought my people had forgotten. The point is that as such there are restrictions on the amount of land that can separate us, courtesy of the Sléibhandas, who control earth. One thousand feet, that's as far as we can be separated. Such restrictions are applicable in the X, Y, and Z directions." Elora scrambled to her feet, snapping the sphere closed and shoving it into her bag, before slinging it over her shoulder.

"What?" The Trisani stopped dead in his tracks, whirling on his heel to face the woman who was but a few feet behind him.

"I'm sorry, did I stutter? Which, incidentally this really creates a problem because tomorrow I'm supposed to be on a freighter running supplies to—hopefully—Paradise City." She shrugged, blinking up at him owlishly.

"This can't be happening to me." He felt a headache coming on and this one had nothing to do with how much of his powers he'd used.

"I'm afraid it is darling. But look, I have an idea! You stay here for the night, tomorrow we go to HQ and make the run, and after that I am at your beck and call. Plus, to sweeten the deal, I'll replace your ship." She beamed, hands spread wide. Nero raked a contemptuous glance at the rundown apartment around him, before arching an eyebrow at the redhead.

"You're going to replace my ship?" He asked disbelievingly. She visibly bristled at that, swelling with anger as two splotches of red stained her cheeks.

"Now you listen here you…you condescending asshole! This may not be the nicest of apartments, but that doesn't mean I can't get you back a ship of equal or greater value! I'll have you know that I am paid well for my work, and the only reason I'm not holed up in some posh penthouse is because I usually donate most of my earnings to those who have less than I do. The tiles may be cracked and the sinks might not be gilded in gold, but it's a helluva lot better than what some people are forced to live in." She snapped furiously, jabbing her finger into his chest. Nero watched in surprise, momentarily shocked by her little tirade as the woman threw up her hands in exasperation, stomping away. Almost immediately afterwards though he felt contrite; he should know better than to judge someone before he got to know them.

"And just so you know," she hissed, spinning back to face him with eyes that were sparkling in rage, "this isn't where I live! This is a cheap, temporary inhabitance while I waited for my ship to be ready because I had to flee from League assassins!"

"Alright, I'm sorry. Your plan actually sounds like a half decent one, so where will I sleep?" He asked, fighting the sudden urge to reach out and close his fingers around her wrists to stop her rant. He remembered flashes of how soft her skin was from when he'd come into contact with it just moments before, when he was uncuffing her. It was the kind of skin that a man could spend hours stroking and never get tired of the satiny feel.

"What? Oh! We can share the bed, or if you want I can take the floor." She said hurriedly, floating over to remove the tangled mess of sheets.

"I suppose it's big enough for two…" He began doubtfully, watching as she began dividing the pillows so that there were precisely two little stacks of two. Next she shook out the sheet before spreading it over the pale crème bedspread and smoothing it out. Finally came the duvet which was a thick, fluffy red and stuffed with what seemed to be feathers. In a few minutes the bed was made with corners so sharp he could probably bounce a credit off of them.

"Very well then…" With a deadpan voice, Elora pulled her shirt off, reaching around to unclasp the hook of her bra.

"What are you doing?" The panic in her master's voice made her hands still and she looked up at him in surprise.

"I am your property master, I had assumed…" She trailed off, noting the small wash of desire in his eyes, before they clouded over in anger.

"No. Absolutely not. You do not have to do…_that…_out of some stupid sense of obligation. And stop calling me master! My name is Nero." He snarled, lifting her shirt up and tossing it at her with a tendril of psychic energy. The surprised look on her face would have almost been comical if it weren't for the fact that he was furious. Not just at her actions, but at the resigned, accepting way she handled them, as if she'd been in that situation many times before.

"You just stay on your side, and I'll stay on mine." Pulling his boots off, Nero crawled under the blankets and shut the light out only when he felt the creaking bed dip down on the other side.

"Goodnight… Nero." He just barely caught her whispered words and oddly enough he found the heat that she was radiating a small comfort.

/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Translations:

_Soith: _Bitch. (common insult)

_Coimhth__í__och: _Outsider (common insult, usually only spoken with contempt or disdain where as others can be thrown about in an affectionate manner)

_Leis an bhean bheanniagh mar mo fhinn__é, beidh tú__ b__á__s_: By the Blessed Lady as my witness, you will die. (not so common, more hurtful insult akin to her saying 'I hope you step on a Lego you bastard.')

_Bhóna an imithe: _Collar of the Fallen. (proper noun)


	4. Chapter 4: Good Morning Sunshine

**Well, on the plus side I uploaded on a Monday! Granted it is a few weeks late, I apologize. I am a terrible person, but hopefully you'll be placated by the late night snuggling going on here. It just seems like in all of the stories I've read it's the girl that ends up snuggling against the guy so hey, why not switch things up and make an event that will never be mentioned again? **

**So hey, fan, favorite and comment y'all!**

**Much love, **

**Adara.**

**P.S. Nero is not mine. Unfortunately.**

Chapter Four: Good Morning Sunshine.

Elora woke up only a few hours after falling asleep to one of the most awkward sensations she had ever had the displeasure of experiencing. She had been snoozing comfortably, without nightmares for a change—it was a welcome relief—when she felt the bed shift behind her. After years of being forced to endure unwanted interruptions to her sleeping habits, even the slightest of movements had her eyes snapping open. Her entire body tensed when she felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle upwards as the distance between herself and her master lessened.

She had honestly expected him to have changed his mind about using her to scratch a biological itch, but was surprised when instead he curved his arms around her and hugged her tight. He spooned up behind her, pressing his long, muscular body against her back as he nuzzled his face in her hair. Elora barely dared to let the breath leave her lungs and she lay stiff as a board while she waited for him to do something more. But to her ever increasing surprise and puzzlement, he did not. He simply just held her tightly much in the same way she had held to her pillow some lonely nights when her heart ached dully, reaching out for something that she could not name.

Eventually her body relaxed enough that she could breathe regularly and allowed herself only the smallest bit of enjoyment at the sensation of being held. It felt good, warm, and for the briefest moment she wondered what it would be like to go to sleep being held like this every night. How nice it would be to have someone wrap their strong arms around her, or to fall asleep listening to the steady heartbeat of another human being. One who would protect her, joke with her and make her think… one who would tell her that they loved her.

_Love you? How could anyone love you? Sure you've got a decent enough body, but it's probably too worn out to even get a man hard. Nobody's going to love you._ Those scathing words echoed inside her head, not in her own voice but in her uncle's.

She tried to wiggle her way to freedom, but to no avail. The man behind her simply tightened his hold, and she could feel more than see the frown that was curving his lips. Heaving a sigh of defeat, Elora looked out the broken window at the night sky. The sounds of the slums was as familiar as it was comforting, and though she didn't feel tired she felt her eyes drifting closed.

* * *

_The sounds of the slums whispered around her, a symphony all in its own, and she knew that no matter where they went, no matter what world they were in, the symphony would always be the same. Sure, the loud music being played might be of different notes, and the people screaming furiously at each other through the wall might have different accents, but it was all the same. _

_Except tonight was different, and the music was no longer soothing as it echoed in the terrified ears of a fourteen year old child. Footsteps pounded against the street, bare because in her haste she forgot the set of torn shoes she usually kept, pushed down a familiar path to the place she had called home for a few years._

"_Take your siblings and go Ella, don't look back." The one and only order her father had given her that she'd ignored. She'd made sure that the others were hidden away safely, Sama could watch over them, and hurried back to the house desperate to find her father. The _Folagairí _had found them, elite soldiers and hunters of the royal family of Talasair, and her father was holding them off to buy them time. But she couldn't just leave without him, she was strong, her powers potent enough to help…_

_She saw the flames licking up the side of the building, striking her as unnatural. Fire shouldn't survive in an area composed of glass and metal, but the fire in itself was not natural. Just as sje neared closer to the building, an eardrum shattering explosion blew out the windows that lined the third floor. Her floor._

_People scrambled out of the wreakage, conscious of the glass that rained down from the sky like glittering crystals. Elora paid it no mind, instead shoving through the crowd and making her way into the main lobby of the apartment complex. She ignored the bites of pain as she stepped on the glass and climbed the stairs two at a time, fighting against the stream of people who surged out. _

"_You can tell that bitch that she will _not_ take my children from me!" Her father's voice echoed, instantly flooding her with calm even as she ran faster to find him._

"_The queen of Talasair wishes that these abominations be put down. You commit treason _coimhthíoch, _which is punishable by death." Elora hid behind the wall, peering in through the doorway. The man who had spoken was dressed in all black, his face hidden save for his frighteningly red eyes. On his chest there was painted the royal seal, something her mother had shown her many times._

"_I dare you. Try." __Standing at almost seven feet tall, her father posed a strong image with his dark hair and muscular frame. Light blue energy snapped and licked at his fingers as he prepared two psychic bolts to fire at the man. Flames filled the corners of the room, creating a wall behind the assassin and Elora knew that there were more people hiding in the fire. _

_They stepped out, a semicircle of ten men, each with the flames curving around their arms and legs. Elora released a strangled cry, running to her father's side. At sixteen years old, she barely made it to his chest, and she felt the surprise rolling off of him._

"_What are you doing here? I told you to run!" He snarled, standing infront of her protectively. _

"_I'm not letting you face this alone. I can help!" She growled, her own blue eyes turning red as she allowed her own psychic energy to pool. They were saved from any further conversation as the _Folagairí _moved forward in a graceful swarm._

_Elora fought as though her very life depended on this victory when in actuality so much more did. Her father's life, and her younger siblings who were waiting for them. And two against ten were bad odds. Her father had a heavy nosebleed, and she knew that she was fairing much worse. She'd given up on using her Trisani abilities and was now relying solely on manipulating the elements around her. It was surprisingly easy to draw the moisture off their bodies and use the liquid against them, but she had always been weak in her water bending. She was getting tired, and it was only a matter of time before one of the _Folagairí _pushed her growing weakness. _

_It was impossible to distinguish which was which, but one sent a thin line of fire shooting at her with a speed she couldn't hope to perceive, couldn't hope to deflect. The thread pierced through her shoulder, burning through skin, bone and muscle. With a scream of pain she collapsed to the ground, drawing her father's attention. _

"_Elora! Bubble!" He shouted, his very skin starting to glow. She quickly drew a psychic shield around herself, fighting against the agonizing pain to keep it in tact as she felt the shockwave of pure force explode around the room in a blinding light. When it finally faded, the fire had been put out, and the _Folagairí_ were strewn across the tattered remains of the room spread eagled. Elora cautiously opened her eyes, gaze falling on the prone figure of her father, who stared up at the ceiling with blank eyes._

"_Dad? No! Oh goddess, please no!" She screamed, running to him and shaking him roughly. His chest rose and fell steadily, but there was blood leaking from his eyes, nose and the corner of his mouth. He remained completely unresponsive to her shouts, her shoves and her slaps. She knew, though she wasn't able to admit it, that in using the shockwave that had saved her life he had used up too much of his powers. His brain was completely fried and it was all her fault._

"_Daddy… I'm so sorry." She cried, reaching around to grab the wooden handle of the knife he always kept at his side. The knife that had been passed down from his great grandfather to him. He was going to give it to her when she turned seventeen… Turning it, she watched the sparkle of the light on the blade before placing the tip gently over his heart._

"_I love you…" She whispered, before applying the proper force that plunged it through skin and muscle, between the ribs and into his heart._

* * *

"NO!" With a startled scream Elora shot up in the bed, her loose shirt plastered to her sweat drenched body. It took a moment for her to take in her surroundings, her brow furrowed at the sight of a broken window before she recalled the events of last night. That moment was enough time for Nero to walk in from the bathroom, a frown on his face.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, combing his fingers through his hair in a vain attempt to smooth the unruly locks. A strand fell in front of his face and Elora watched it absentmindedly, suddenly filled with an urge to reach out and push it away. Shaking her head, she checked the battered leather watch on her wrist and had to do a double take.

"Shit! No it's not, we've gotta go now!" She hissed, sliding out from beneath the blanket and hurriedly pulling on her boots.

"What's the rush?" Nero inquired lightly, watching in mild amusement as the woman ran around wildly, doing her best to make it appear as if there had been nobody in the room. Of course, the shattered glass and broken window gave that away, but other than that there was no trace of them.

"Well, there's supposed to be someone moving in at nine thirty, giving us about fourty minutes before we have a very awkward encounter with the landlord of this apartment complex." She answered, slinging her dufflebag over her shoulder. Nero rolled his eyes, rubbing his forehead as he tucked the towel in his back pocket.

"I see… so how are we going to do this? I really cannot teleport with you." Rubbing the gold cuff on his wrist, he watched as Elora paused, pursing her lips thoughtfully.

"Hmmm… Order me to the Sentella base, and then follow as soon as I disappear." She said at last, pulling her hair back and fluffing it out.

"Is there no other way?" He demanded, a scowl pursing his lips.

"I'm afraid not darling. But your concern is very sweet." She smiled gently, adjusting the strap on her bag.

"Alright, well... Elora, I order you to meet me at the Sentella headquarters." The cuff flashed bright red, its glow matched by the collar that the redhead wore. She blinked, her face scrunched up as if in pain before she disappeared with a pop, leaving behind the signature taste of psychic power behind. Nero felt the tug on his arm, a tug that was growing increasingly annoying and more forceful. With a sigh, he followed after the woman, curious as to what the future entailed.


	5. Chapter 5: The Endeavor

**Arrrrrrgh. It has been so long since I've uploaded! I haven't forgotten you guys, really! So hopefully the length of this chapter makes up for things. Hoooopefully. I am so sorry! School has been craaaaazy. Not to mention the fact that I've been without internet for a long time and my mom has been stealing my computer.**

**Here's to hoping there's anybody still out there!**

**As always (to anyone left) favorite, and review!**

**Much love,**

**Adara.**

**(Also, Nykyrian and Syn, and Nero aren't mine. :c )**

Chapter Five: The _Endeavor_.

Elora arrived at the Sentella headquarters with a horrible headache. Everything started spinning and she reached out to steady herself. The thing her hand locked in on was another person, who gave her a startled look. She held her hand up to stop him, offering a weak smile as she tried to steady her breathing.

"Give me just a moment dear, I need only to gain my bearings and then I shall be gone." She assured the bewildered young man, who was clutching a data pad in his hands. The name of the ship was sprawled across the top of the cargo log in an old, archaic style of writing. The entire log was laid out in a manner reminiscent of days long past, when ships were only equipped to traverse water.

"That is the cargo for the _Endeavor, _yes?" She asked, without waiting for an answer and instead simply taking the log from his numb fingers. Ignoring his protests, Elora scanned through the list of things on her ship with a critical eye, her attention snapping back up to the blonde haired man-child with the smooth, round face and big brown eyes.

"Do you know if Nemesis had them recalibrate the guns? Oh, why am I asking you of course you don't know…" Shaking her head and muttering to herself, Elora brought up a system diagnostic of her ship. From what she had access to—which admittedly wasn't much on this data pad—it seemed as though her friend had done as she asked. Whether it had been done properly remained to be seen however.

"Excuse me ma'am, but I will need that—sir!" The snap of the man's boots brought the redhead's attention upwards, where the worker was standing in a crisp salute. Looking over her shoulder she saw presumably Nero standing behind her. It was hard to tell at the moment, considering the fact that he was covered head to toe in black body armor with a breather mask hiding his face. Something she'd noticed during her time among the Sentella; they all seemed to have an aversion to actual color.

"At ease. Where is Nemesis?" Nero asked, his voice sounding harsh and grated, a mechanism designed to keep people from recognizing him by speech. Even as he finished the question, he was picking the information out of the man's brain, along with some thoroughly unwanted mental images involving the redhead beside him. Nero once again tried to skim the surface of her mind, but was met with an iron wall, shielding her thoughts from him. He could have broken through the barriers if he truly wanted to, but it was a matter of privacy, and he knew that she wouldn't try to harm him.

"Right, carry on." He growled, turning towards the left and heading in the direction of Nykyrian's office. Elora followed only a few paces behind, whistling what had to be the most annoyingly chipper song he had ever heard. Looking at her through the corner of his eyes, the tinted screen couldn't hide the fact that the woman was about as bright as a little ball of sunshine.

"If you work with the Sentella, how come I haven't seen you around before? Or even heard of you?" He asked, punching in the entry code to open the main hangar doors.

"I keep odd hours." She shrugged; falling into step behind the Trisani as a lift came flying by.

"Odd hours indeed." H replied dryly, weaving in and out of numerous paths formed by cargo crates that were being either loaded or unloaded on numerous ships.

"No, I really do! Contrary to popular belief, I don't just spend my days stealing ships. I do have a job." She teased, though it fell on deaf ears. Nonplussed, she pressed on with her explanation.

"I'm actually not an official member of the Sentella, which I have mentioned, so when I'm cruising by I like to stop and refuel, maybe pick up a load if I have the time and it's on my way." Nero remained silent at that, a pensive expression on his helmeted face. They were nearing Nykyrian's office, and he could see the assassin in there through the glass door. He instantly recognized Syn's dark head of hair on the other side, and they appeared to be deep in conversation over something resting on the desk. Elora bounced ahead happily, knocking lightly on the door before pushing it open.

"Alright boys I'm coming in, so pull your pants up!" She sang joyfully, stepping into the office. Nykyrian looked up, is green eyes narrowing dangerously on the redhead. Nero tensed slightly as the blonde stood slowly, towering over the woman with his signature scowl that had once sent stronger men fleeing. Elora appeared oblivious to the dark force above her however, and settled herself comfortably on the corner of the desk. Nero didn't pick up on any particularly malicious thoughts from the assassin, more like the fond exasperation that was usually reserved for when Kiara decided to pay a visit to the office. Syn leaned back in his chair; arms crossed an amused smile on his face as he watched two of them.

"How kind of you to join us, considering the fact that we were just considering the best place to dump your body when I killed you!" Nykyrian growled, the vein in his temple throbbing.

"Really? I always thought it would be best to dump the exposed body out an air lock into space. That way by the time it's found—if it's found—there's really nothing left that can be used for identification." She grinned suicidally, patting the much larger man affectionately on the arm. Nero shook his head in disbelief; if there was one person you didn't want to piss off it was Nykyrian Quiakides.

"Remind me why I haven't killed you yet, you fucking idiot? You disappear after almost being assassinated with just a text, and we don't hear from you for three days? You're going to give me a heart attack I swear!" He snarled, rubbing his forehead.

"Sorry hoss, it wasn't intentional I swear. You know I always told you I don't go looking for trouble; it always ends up finding me. And besides, you love me and you know it. Anyway! I need you to sign off on this so we can be on our way. Also, do you know if Jae got the weapon upgrades he wanted?" Handing the data pad over, Elora waited impatiently for the blonde to take it. Nykyrian paused, hand slowly dragging down his face as his eyes flicked between her and Nero.

"You said 'we' and 'our.' Who is we?" He demanded, the gears turning in his head. Nero saw the realization slowly dawning, before the assassin grabbed Elora and pulled her closer. Pushing down the collar of her sweater, he hissed as the gold collar came into view. Snapping his head upwards, those green eyes locked on Nero and the Trisani felt his throat run dry at the sheer anger that was rolling off the man. Faster than he could blink, Nykyrian was lunging for him and had he not been able to foresee the attack he would have probably been pinned up against the wall gasping for breath. As it was, it was a close dodge.

"Now look…" He began, holding his hands up in surrender.

"How dare you? You do this to someone and then have the nerve to show up here again?" He snarled, starting around his desk. Elora sighed, sliding off the desk and stepping between the two of them, placing a restraining hand on his chest.

"It was all a horribly awkward accident; now calm your pants sweet cheeks." She snapped, shoving him back lightly and rubbing her neck. Nero was paralyzed for a moment, trying to control the pain and fury that was storming through him like a tempest. Jaw clenched, he turned and stepped out of the office, taking deep, calming breaths.

Elora watched Nero leave worriedly; only an idiot wouldn't be able to tell that Nykyrian's words had hurt him. She understood her friend's anger, but right now she really wanted to hit the man in the head with something big. Turning to face the blonde, she let the displeasure show on her face as she fisted her hands on her hips.

"Now you listen here Mr. Quiakides, and you listen well. You don't even know what happened, and you had no right to say those things! When I went into hiding, I stole his ship Nyk, and destroyed it as I found somewhere to lie low. He wanted to kill me, and ended up saving my life as I was ambushed by my mother's dogs. And besides, do you honestly think I would be here, offering to take this load out past my home with him if I thought he was like the others?" She growled, eyebrow twitching. At least Nykyrian had the decency to look contrite after her tirade, and Elora let out a soft sigh.

"Now, we are going to head out now." Giving the big man a pat on the arm, she turned and left the office, eyes scanning the area for Nero. She found him not too far away leaning against the wall, arms crossed and tapping his fingers restlessly. Walking quietly up to him, the redhead lightly placed her hand on his arm, drawing his attention.

"Are you ready to go?" He snapped, pushing away from the wall.

"Are you alright? That was harsh, and uncalled for." She asked, tightening her hold and refusing to let him pass without an answer. Nero chewed his lip, looking down at the woman in surprise. There was sincerity in her eyes, which was something he was not used to from strangers.

"If I let every attempt on my life hurt my feelings, I wouldn't have been able to get out of bed a long time ago. Why do you care anyway? As far as you know, I'm just a slave owner." Shrugging, Nero started down the hallway towards the docks, where the ships were waiting.

"See, I don't believe that. You're a part of the Sentella, which automatically makes you much better than the others. Not to mention the fact that in just one night you seem to have more morals than the others. But maybe I'm just optimistic that way? But yeah I am ready to go." Following behind, Elora had to jog to keep up with the long, powerful strides Nero was taking. She could tell that he was still upset by Nykyrian's words, but the odds of him talking to her about it were pretty slim. Of course she couldn't really be surprised by that, they were practically strangers after all, and had their roles been reversed she couldn't have said she would have been any nicer. Her thoughts scattered though when she laid eyes on her ship. The _Endeavor _was a beauty, of that she had made sure of. The paint was white—and cleaned regularly—with red detailing that was reminisce of flames, only with much more tribal roots. It had some of the best weapons, with Class A Thanix cannons and heat sensing explosives. It was her baby, her home away from home and her lively hood. There was only one thing she protected fiercer than her ship, and that was her actual family.

"Here we are. Prepare yourself for the smoothest liftoff of your life." She grinned wildly, lips drawing away from her teeth to reveal a pair of deadly fangs. Nero didn't answer, making a mental note to ask her about her teeth later. Walking down the docking bay, Elora stepped into the ship and took in a deep breath of the recycled air.

"And rest assured," she grinned, "I have the finest crew available." They were walking down what was marked as North Hall C, headed to the bridge.

"I'm ready to be impressed." He rolled his eyes, arms crossed.

"Oh, you're a funny man." Elora drawled, pausing at the airlock. There was loud, fast music blasting through the doors, the bass reverberating through his bones. Pounding on the door, the airlock hissed as the thick plates of metal slid apart. The music was even louder without that barrier, the sound of a screeching guitar cutting through the empty space. The bridge of the ship was wide, with a huge, fully panoramic screen that overlooked the void of space. There were three main seats positioned in a wide triangle; the captain's chair, which was set at the pilot's controls, a navigator's seat, and an engineer's seat. There were also bench seats in the back, all furnished in red and white leather.

"AADI, kill the music." Elora called, tugging the strap of her carrier bag over her shoulder and tossing it onto the floor beside the captain's chair. Nero arched an eyebrow as the music stopped instantly, a glowing red light shining off of the control terminal.

"Welcome back Captain. Shall I page the crew?" A cool, metallic voice asked, distinctly feminine.

"Do please? We need to get going." She nodded.

"Connecting to the ship's main interface. Is there anything else you need Captain Manningham?" AADI asked politely, above the soft whir of the air vents.

"That's it." Elora answered, rubbing her eyes.

"Acknowledged, logging you out." The light faded, and the woman dropped into her seat, before spinning to face him.

"You have an AI on board?" Leaning against the wall Nero carefully removed his helmet, tucking it beneath his arm.

"I do. Artificial Attack/Defense Intelligence; she came with the ship. AADI's kept me from getting us all killed plenty of times." The redhead smiled fondly, twisting in her chair like a child.

"And to think, I thought it was my excellent gun calibrations." A voice called, belonging to the man who just walked in. He was almost as tall as Hauk, and definitely Andarion judging by the eyes; white iris with red rims.

"Yeah, okay. You might wanna find a toilet Jae, 'cuz you are so full of shit." The girl that followed behind the Andarion looked no older than seventeen. She had short, dark hair, mocha colored skin and a pair of greasy denim overalls on. Her hands were black smudged, and she had several scars on her arms.

"Watch yourself grease monkey, you're almost an adult." Jae growled, watching as the girl dropped into the engineer's seat, sticking her tongue out.

"Now children, no violence on board. Save it for when you're on leave and Nexus doesn't have to take care of you." Elora chuckled, rolling her eyes at the pair.

"Yes, that is most preferable. I have enough problems when Ava hurts herself." The next person to walk in was a Rugarion dressed in a white lab coat. He had a gentle air about him, but by the way he carried his body Nero had no doubt that the man could kill without remorse.

"Aw, I wouldn't hurt the brat." Jae chuckled, sitting down next to Nexus on the bench seats.

"Where the hell is Luka?" Elora demanded, pulling up the security cameras in the ship. There was a flash of someone running by, before the door opened once more to let in a human with a mess of curly hair. This person—presumably Luka—was panting heavily by the time he sat down in the nav chair.

"Sorry Captain, I got lost." He breathed, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

"For the love of Kassanah! You are one of the best navigators I've ever met, and you get lost in my ship?" Elora cried; face dropping into the palm of her hand. Luka chuckled, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Like I said, it's different out in space. Not as many twists and turns." Luka chuckled, rolling back the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows. Everybody except Nero was wearing casual dress, a fact that did not escape the notice of the rest of the crew.

"Who da hell is dis guy? Looks like one of da big wigs." The girl demanded, speaking in a heavy accent.

"Right… This is Nero Scalera. He's going to be with us for a decent amount of time. Nero, this is Ava Mendes, my chief engineer," The girl nodded, before becoming distracted by something that came up on her console. "Luka, our navigator, Jae the weapons specialist, and Nexus our medical officer."

Nero offered a terse nod, sitting gingerly on the corner bench as Elora turned around and strapped herself in.

"Alright boys and girls, pull on your big kid pants and guard yourselves, it's time to get going! Paradise city ho!" She cried, flipping the main engine switch and keying in the departure codes. Nero's stomach pitched slightly when the _Endeavor _gave a violent lurch. Had he not safely secured himself with the safety belts, he probably would have been thrown against the wall.

"Captain, my records indicate you are showing small improvement in your take off abilities." AADI called, her cool voice giving obvious signs of amusement.

"Bite my ass." She growled a grin on her face as they rose into the air. Grabbing the controls, they started accelerating at a break neck speed, sending them slamming back into their seats. Nero shook his head—well, as best he could—a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. The woman in front of him was vibrant, like a bright fiery spark that streaked through life. But he could tell that deep down she was suffering from deeper emotional scars. Watching her fly, she carried herself with confidence and joy. But there was moroseness in the set of her jaw, a bitterness tainting the blue of her eyes. This female he was bound to was perplexing, and he found himself becoming mildly interested in her complexities. And that in itself was a very dangerous train of thought, one that he could not afford to pursue.


	6. Chapter 6: A Delivery is Made

**Well, this chapter took a lot longer than I'd expected it to… but it's a whopping nine pages (which is a lot for me) and most of it is adorable. We'll be getting into some action-y goodness and face punching in the next chapter, so be warned. Also, I'm taking a lot of inspiration from the Mass Effect series when it comes to the weapons and armor because let's face it, the books are a little vague. Blaster is such a generic term, and it leads one to question; are there different strengths of blasters? Are some just for killing and not for stunning?**

**In a perfect universe, let's hope so. And since shotguns are just so awesome (one of my favorite weapons in the game) I decided to put one in there. Because they are awesome.**

**But I dunno, if it doesn't work for you let me know and I'll see if I can tweak some things.**

**Anywho! Nero is not mine (sadly) and neither is Nykyrian or Nemesis. The others however, they are all mine! Muahahahaha!**

**So, drop a review, a comment, a friendly hello what have you. Spread the love, and dance.**

**And good luck to the people on the east coast who are getting brutally abused by Hurricane Sandy.**

**Much love;**

**Adara.**

**P.S. Fun question! In modern times, what type of vehicle do you see our lovely heroine driving? Drop me a line!**

Chapter Six: A Delivery Is Made

"Captain; records indicate an estimated time of arrival of approximately four hours." AADI called over the intercom.

"Right. Take the handle then while the rest of us suit up." The redhead nodded, flipping the autopilot switch and unbuckling her belt.

"Integrating into the directional controls." The main panel flashed red as a holograph projection of a woman sat in the seat just vacated by the captain.

"You know the drill people. Nobody steps foot onto the ground without full protective covering and at least one weapon." Elora snapped briskly, falling into the role of military leader. Nero watched quietly from the corner seat that he hadn't vacated since lift off as the rest of the crew members rose from their seats.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Jae nodded, the first out of the door. As the others followed behind, the captain turned to the new comer and arched an eyebrow. Her blue eyes dimmed, losing their sparkle as weariness seeped into her gaze. He could see the marks that the world had left on this woman, and it made her optimism seem that much more miraculous.

"You've been awfully quiet, are you alive in that suit still?" She asked, the words coming out in a tired sigh.

"I'm still alive." He answered, standing slowly as the woman gave him a wave of the hand, gesturing for him to follow her. He fell into step behind the redhead, her hair trailing in a fiery wave behind her. He remembered the sensation of that hair curling around his wrist, the ghost of her breath across his bare skin. His suit suddenly seemed too hot, too tight, and wholly uncomfortable.

"Captain, your gear is waiting in your cabin. Your visor has been adjusted and the superficial damage repaired." AADI called as they moved towards the door.

"Good. I have to look stylish as I charge off into the heat of battle." Elora laughed, the airlocks hissing as the door opened yet again. Reaching back, she massaged her neck and started down to the main elevator in the center of the ship. Nero watched the woman walk, her hips swaying in a feminine way that was quickly drying out his mouth and sending the blood to a much lower part of his anatomy. She had a backside that was enviable of the gods, and the pants she was wearing were hugging every delicious curve.

_Stay focused idiot. _He thought savagely, standing beside her. Hitting a button on his helmet, the face plate lightened and hazed so that his face was visible behind the dark tinting.

"You expect a fire fight?" He asked, knuckles tightening on the rail as the elevator doors shut.

"What do you think?" She asked sarcastically, as the elevator pinged loudly, stopping at the first floor and opening slowly. They stepped out into an area that branched off into three hallways, each marked with chrome lettering.

"Good point." Nero admitted, following down the hall marked Crew Quarters. They stopped at the farthest door on the left hand side, a door that had a series of three long scratches down the surface of it.

"So, here's your room. The fridge is stocked with mostly water—you know, dehydration is bad and all—the bathroom isn't the largest, but with the small size of the crew we do have the luxury of not having to share. Mine is at the end of the hall if you need me, and the cafeteria is down the hall, to the left. I wouldn't recommend the fish however. Meet us on the bridge before we touch down. Also, the door sometimes sticks so if it takes a while to open just give it a little…" The woman pounded the door with her fist, the loud thunk causing the thick steel to slide over and allow entry. "Tap."

"Good to know." Stepping into the room, Nero was once again pleasantly surprised. The bed was a full mattress with what looked like comfortable enough sheets. There was a metal desk built into the wall, along with dressers and storage areas. There was one other door that led into the bathroom. Going off to inspect it, the bathroom that wasn't the 'largest' was a master bathroom with a tiled shower, full sink and vanity along with a lavishly furnished cabinet.

Shaking his head, the man tossed his bag on the desk and dropped onto the bed. The mattress was pleasantly springy, and incredibly comfortable. Lying back, he pulled off his helmet and set it on the stand beside him. Running a hand through his hair, the blonde felt his eyes grow heavy as the thought of sleep became more and more attractive. Setting an alarm on his link, as soon as his head hit the pillow—which was surprisingly firm—he was out.

)_)

"_You're beautiful, you know that?" He grinned, propping himself up on a huge bed as he watched the back side of a woman putting earrings in her ears. He couldn't discern any characteristics—her hair was in a towel, and for some reason the mirror held no reflection—but there was a small crescent moon shaped scar on her left thigh and a burn scar along her shoulder. _

"_You keep saying that love, I might start believing you." She laughed, voice eerily familiar to him. And yet, in this dream Nero did not feel any discomfort with this woman, but rather a comfortable familiarity that bordered on affection. And at the moment incredible frustration. Pushing up off the bed with a growl, he shot a line of psychic energy looping around the woman and pulling her into his arms. She gave a squeal of surprise, dropping the ruby earring as her limbs flailed and stronger peals of laughter chimed out of her._

"_I assure you, I would not say it if it wasn't true." Wrapping his arms around her, Nero buried his face in her neck, the scent of juniper filling his nostrils._

"_Ach! That tickles!" She giggled, squirming wildly as the towel around her hair slipped and fell off. The bright red tendrils fell thickly to her shoulders, smelling strongly of mint from her shampoo. _

"_Good, you silly woman." He laughed, spinning her in his grasp and pulling her body up against his. When he saw her face he realized instantly who this woman was, and her blue eyes sparkled in mirth as she wrapped her arms around his neck._

"_I love you, you know?" She smiled breathlessly, fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck._

"_You keep saying that love, I might start believing you." He joked back, the temptation of her lips too much to resist. _

)_)

Nero blinked awake as his link started buzzing and ringing, reaching over to disable the alarm. Sitting up, sleep clawed at the edges of his mind, the dream still fresh. What he wasn't sure of was whether it was an actual dream, or a premonition of the future. While he refused to believe it was the latter, he could not deny that the scent of juniper and mint still clung to his senses.

"Attention all crew members; drop down in thirty minutes. By order of Captain Manningham, please prepare yourselves and meet on the bridge." AADI's voice interrupted the gentle song coming out of the overhead speakers, and with a groan the Trisani rolled out of the bed and reached for the helmet. Pulling it on over his head, he hit the lights and headed towards the door. As he suspected the door did stick, and after giving it a punishing _thump_, he headed out down the hall and towards the bridge.

He almost the last to arrive, and true to their captain's commands the rest of the crew were wearing Armstitch suits. They were uniformly dark, the detailing a shade of royal blue that played out around the edges and created a hard set of lines that were reminisce of flame. Jae was the only one wearing a helmet other than himself, and the Andarion was by far the most heavily protected, and armed. He carried several heavy blasters, along with what looked like a few frag grenades and two long knives sheathed to his back. Almost all of them carried blasters, with the exception of the Rugarion; Ava had a set of simple hand pistols, along with what looked like an entire arsenal of explosives attached to her belt. The navigator, Luka, only had one small blaster; however he seemed to carry dozens of throwing knives tucked away in numerous parts of his body. He sat innocently in his chair, the overall make of his armored suit flexible, so as to allow the best range of mobility. There was a hood that was currently down, no doubt with some sort of camouflaging program.

Most curiously was the doctor however. He wore medium armor, and it was obvious that his favored weapon was a heavy looking compound bow. The quiver appeared to have several different compartments for the arrows, no doubt each arrow had different adaptations that allowed it to be used to different effect. The blue of the armor was brought out more sharply by the blue colorings of his skin, however he wore white war paint across his face. He carried himself with a deadly lope, black eyes cold and calculating in complete contrast to the gentle air he had carried earlier. Nero had seen a change like that before, often, when Syn was involved. They all stood around the captain's chair, where AADI was still projected and waited patiently.

"Where is Captain Manningham?" He inquired, crossing his arms and resting on the heels of his feet.

"Ella will get here when she gets here. She usually takes de longest of all of us." Ava answered, eyes locked on a control remote in one of the gauntlets of her armor.

"It's because she has to do her hair, her make up, get her armor and weapons. She has to look just perfect in battle." Jae snorted, voice distilled through the thicker face plating.

"Intimidation works wonders against foes children." Nero turned at the sexy contralto and was glad that his visor was fully blackened because he was almost certain that his jaw had just hit the floor. Elora strode in wearing medium, full body covering. She wore Armstitch underneath a set of ceramic plating, the black of the fabric mixed with the black of the plates. Her suit was also trimmed in blue, with the flames, but with a bird painted on the back, wings fanned and breast on display. The armor conformed to her body, outlining and displaying her curves. Her hair was pulled back with a few curls falling around her pale face, the smoky eye shadow and black lipstick contrasting sharply against her features.

The amount of weapons she carried could give Jae a run for his money; at her hips were two identical blasters, with a rapid firing one across her back. He had little doubt that there were numerous blades hidden along her body, but what had to be the most intimidating weapon she carried was the double barreled, heavy blaster that she held in her hands. What it sacrificed in accuracy, it made up for in sheer power. She didn't wear a helmet, instead favoring a simple visor that held a screen over one eye. It sent a thrill of desire straight through him, and he wanted to pull her into a maintenance closet until they both too sore to walk. As she sauntered past him, he caught a whiff of mint and it almost drove him to his knees with the force of the desire that went through him. His hands clenched into fists as he had to forcibly restrain himself from puling her to him.

_Damnit, think bad thoughts… dead puppies, Syn's naked ass._ Gritting his teeth, Nero turned away from the group and snapped his attention into focus when he realized that Elora was speaking.

"Alright, you know the deal here. We're going to drop the supplies off at the orphanage. Keep an eye out, there has been word that gangs have been around to give trouble, but it's nothing we can't handle." Shifting her hold on the behemoth of a weapon, the woman worked a small earpiece into her ear and nodded at AADI. The others applied similar earpieces, adjusting their weapons as they took a formation behind their leader. It was a defensive stature, one that spoke volumes for their loyalty towards the woman. The AI then began the landing protocol and there was nothing left to do but wait.

Paradise City, an ironic name for such a vicious, brutal place. It was comparable to Rook, yet another cesspool where the lowest of society brewed, and yet there was still good. Despite the gangs, the slum lords, and the drug addicts, there were still people trying to live their lives. People trying to do good by themselves and others. It was these people that were the reason why he was breaking his back carrying boxes in and out of the ship into a rundown little building. They had touched down about a half hour ago and though the weather had not been initially hot, the mixture of humidity and physical exertion had sweat dripping down his face. The others were all diligently working, and currently he was following Luka out of the cargo bay and out into the sun. The human was pale, his features set and pinched as though he was in pain. Nero could tell by the way he favored his left leg he was walking with a limp. It was hard not to pick up on the thoughts that were focused on the pain from the man, and Nero discovered that Luka had gotten a titanium hip from being thrown back in an explosion.

"Luka!" Elora called, eyebrows furrowed as she walked up to him. Slowing her gait, she took a few of the boxes and adjusted her pace so that they were walking together. She lowered her head so that they could speak quietly together, a conversation that made the human pull back with a grimace. He looked as though he was about to retaliate, but the sharp look from the woman had him swallowing his words.

Yeah, you didn't argue with someone who had that mothering look on their face.

They continued carrying boxes into the orphanage, taking the back route through the door and into a storeroom where a matronly woman stood with a clipboard. Her silver hair was clipped to just below her ears, the glossy bob both easy to maintain and still fashionable. A wooden cane leaned against her leg, and she had a few scars across her face. Her eyes however were warm and gentle, and they shined like polished mahogany, filled with gratitude. She was spry for a woman her age, and Nero instantly recognized the toned physique of a soldier. As he dropped his stack of boxed, he noticed that Elora had paused and was stretching her back out.

"Is that everything?" She asked, padding over to peer at the inventory list.

"It is. What were your plans for tonight?" The matron nodded, scribbling down some notes.

"I promised the crew that tonight was theirs. After that we're going to make a run into the Ailanthus system to drop the rest of these supplies off with my sister and I think I may take some time off… find a beach, enjoy some sun." Her blue eyes unerringly found his at that last bit and Nero looked away quickly, a frown pursing his lips. It did not go unnoticed, and the old woman's countenance turned pensive.

"I see… You be careful then, and make sure you say hello to the children before you leave." Pulling the redhead into an affectionate hug, she chuckled awkwardly; face flushing red as she tried to escape from the embrace.

"I will Leah. There hasn't been any more whisperings of protection money has there?" Straightening to fix her hair, Nero was entranced by the curve of her wrist as her fingers glided across the plane of her cheek. What would it feel like to have those slender digits gliding across his skin? To have her touch him, look at him with the tenderness she displayed when she spoke to her crew.

_Gah, I must have used my powers too much and suffered brain damage… she would kill me herself if it weren't for the fact that she'd die in the process._ He thought with a grimace. And yet, undeniably, there was nothing hotter than a woman with the ability to fend for herself, and the fire to pull the trigger.

"We've had no problems since you had that conversation with the gang leader. Now you need to tel-ass _filla,_ I'm going to start dinner and I need you to keep the little ones from sneaking in and ruining their supper." Leah smiled, setting aside the clipboard and gripping her cane. Walking out of the store room, it left Elora and himself alone. She dropped down tiredly in a heap on the floor, pulling a rag out of a spare pocket and wiping the back of her neck.

"I hate making them wear full covering when we come down here… but I would rather them sweaty and disgusting than dead." She shrugged, tugging the pad of her thumb along the bottom of her eye in an attempt to prevent any makeup from running.

"It's admirable, you care for them and it shows in their loyalty. Especially considering how conscious you were of your navigator's injury." Glad that he had left his helmet on the ship, Nero arched a questioning eyebrow at the distasteful look that crossed Elora's face. Guilt?

"Yeah, well it was my fault he got injured in the first place. Plus it's the least I can do; they've all saved me…in more ways than one." A very serious expression crossed the woman's face, and his breath caught at the sheer sadness in her blue eyes. It was the kind of soul heavy pain that reached deep into the very core of a person's being and changed them forever. It made him want to reach out to the woman and comfort her. But he didn't know how to comfort people, and something told him she wouldn't want his sympathy anyway.

"Right, well I think we should get going before they send in a search party." Standing slowly, he offered his hand to the redhead and waited for her to get up.

"More likely they'd steal my ship and become Tavali Pirates." She snorted, gripping the proffered limb and hauling herself off the ground. Nero cracked a smile at that comment, and the sight of it made her stumble slightly as it completely transformed his features. Although it didn't change the raw predatory power that bled out of him, it made the man seem a little more… approachable. It also filled her with the irrational desire to see his smile more.

"What?" He asked, self-consciously rubbing a hand along his jaw as the smile faded and she realized she'd been staring like a fool.

_Ach, nice one genius. _

"You have a nice smile, that's all." She laughed, slipping out past him and going through the doorway, hurrying to hide the blush that splotched her cheeks. Nero followed, gaze following the sway of her hips as they cut through the kitchen. She had the type of walk that a man could follow into hell, and curves that he could spend hours exploring. Certainly suicidal thoughts, but ones he felt would be worth finding out about.

Elora shivered slightly, feeling a scorching gaze trailing along her body. Lecherous looks she was used to, but the force of the Trisani's eyes on her body had her blood heating and sparks trailing along her nerves. Shaking her head she stopped in front of a large wooden door, where the dull roar of small voices could be heard. Smiling warmly, she curved her fingers around the door knob and twisted it slightly. The look she passed to the man beside her was an amused one, and he saw her visibly take a deep breath before opening the door.

At first nothing happened, but a little after they stepped through the door a few children spotted them. With a startled cry of delight all attention was on the two adults as the madness descended on them. Toys and books were discarded, the interest of their owners gone onto a new subject as the children swarmed the woman, all trying to talk to her at the same time. Elora smiled happily, doing her best to answer all of the questions that were thrown at her and not even bothering to attempt to move.

"Alright, alright! Everybody quiet down and if you're lucky, I'll tell you a story." She laughed, reaching down to lift up a little boy with messy brown hair. Resting the child on her hip, the redhead pursed her lips and made a vain attempt to impose order on the unruly curls. The children parted to either side, allowing a path to a large, circular rug with numerous chairs and pillows on it. Elora went to the very front, sitting down on a huge blue pillow and placing the boy on her lap. The others sat down, arranged in a few rows as they watched her attentively.

"So, what story do we want to here today? My run in with the Assassin Command of the League? Or how about when I infiltrated the Sentella?" She grinned mischievously, wriggling slightly to adjust her position on the pillow.

"Oh! Ella, will you tell us about how you first met Nemesis?" The boy on her lap asked, hugging a worn teddy bear to his chest.

"For you Tommy? Of course. Although, I warn you it's not quite as exciting as my other stories." She chuckled, resting her chin on the child's head. The others sat still, though it was easy to feel the tense excitement in the air.

"It was a hot summer night, the air was damp and heavy on Gouran and it had succeeded in driving almost everyone inside. Picture the scene; an abandoned street with buildings towering high into the sky and the streetlights casting domed illumination along the sidewalks. Transits were parked up and down the roads, and most people were holed up inside the theatre, watching one of Kiara Zamir's shows.

"Enter stage left, a small alley behind their national bank, two people dressed wholly in black. Their faces were masked so it was impossible to recognize them. They crept along the shadows, making sure nobody could see them and headed along towards the very back of the bank. With a few quick looks to make sure nobody could see them, they pulled out signal jammers to scatter the signals to the security alarms and short out the cameras. Now these two were very skilled jewel thieves, and they had invested in the very best of equipment, including adhesive hand and footwear. These they used to scale up the walls, up to the very top of the building, which had to be at least seventy feet!" There was a collective gasp at that and despite himself Nero started to become very interested in this story, although he suspected that at least half of it was complete bullshit.

"Pulling out a high powered Cannon laser, they cut open one of the grates covering the ventilation shafts. It was small, very narrow in fact so only one could go in at a time. They decided to send the smallest in first, and she carefully crawled down into the dark, metal space. Her partner fell in behind her, and they very quietly navigated their way down. Now, I don't know if you've ever been, but the Gouran National Bank has huge ceilings, so it was entirely possible that with one wrong step they could fall and become nothing more than a splatter on the ground. Of course, that's the whole point of the high ceilings you know.

"Luckily though, the vents empty just on a very nice balcony that led to the offices of the really important bank employees. Now, we all know that banks keep everybody's money, but what they also keep, deep down below the ground in very well guarded safes, are a number of priceless artifacts and gems. There was one very specific gem that these thieves were looking for; Jinjin's Fire. Jinjin was an ancient Caronese god of mischief, and his gem, his Fire is believed to be the source of his power. Poppycock all of it, however the fact remains that it is an incredibly beautiful and valuable jewel. The very kind that has been known to attract jewel thieves from across the universe. Some are attracted by its fortune, others by the challenge of breaking into the vault to steal it." Pausing to take a sip of water, Elora's eyes danced as she gazed out at the enraptured crowd.

"Did you and Nemesis work together to stop the jewel thieves?" One girl asked, hugging her knees as she sat on a purple cushion.

"Not quite…" The redhead grinned, clearing her throat to continue.

"Jinjin's Fire is protected by first the thick, tumbler vault. It's what you have to go through to get to the entire lower level of the bank. That was easy work for the thieves. Next they came to a long hall with security cameras and pressurized floor plates, so if you didn't step exactly right, you would trigger an alarm. All they had to do was disable the cameras and they could use their gloves to go along the wall right? Well sure that would have worked if it weren't for the fact that there were also infrared beams crisscrossing the entire room. So our plucky thieves had to weave through the beams while being careful not to step foot on the ground. The third and final challenge was to open the safe that was locked by both a keyless entry, and an optical scanner. Somehow, they managed to make it and unlocked the safe to the gem.

"Unfortunately though, the partner of the lady thief was a greedy, stupid jerk face, and he ended up betraying her and knocking her out as he took the gem for himself! When she finally came too, it was with great dismay that she discovered that she'd been kidnapped by the Sentella and was to be held for questioning. It was all because as soon as the alarms were tripped, the bystanders from Lady Zamir's show started pouring out into the street—including Nemesis. Little known fact, the man is a huge fan of the dancer. Anyway, so there I was, unconscious and being apprehended by the authorities to be brought in for interrogation, when Nemesis swoops in and announces that he'll take the case and bring back the gem. So when I woke up—remarkably unscathed, but with a major headache—it was to see him towering over top of me!" Another gasp, and Nero had to refrain from rolling his eyes. The woman would have escaped if she'd truly wanted to, and besides that's what you got when you trusted someone else to guard your back.

"Was it love at first sight?" Another girl asked, a dreamy look on her face.

"Nothing so fanciful Illy, I assure you. In fact, to be honest I can barely tolerate the man he is absolutely too stubborn to deal with… and just so huge! As soon as he walks into the room everyone else is pushed against the wall by the sheer size of him!" Elora swept her arms out dramatically, pantomiming a giant. She was rewarded by several giggles, and she could have sworn that the man leaning against the back wall cracked another smile, though it was gone before she could blink.

"What happened next?" Tommy asked brightly, big brown eyes wide and excited.

"Well what do you think? He told me that if I helped him, he would get me off the hook. Now let me tell you, the man saved my life, so I owed him and thus was more than willing to help. We ended up chasing my old partner halfway across the galaxy, fought through swarms of mercenaries, were almost clobbered by an asteroid field and just narrowly missed getting deep fried by the solar flares of a small sun just to get that jewel back. And we returned it back to Gouran, and I—a newly reformed woman—went on my merry way to help adorable little ones like you." She laughed, snuggling the child.

"That was an awesome story! Is it true?" Illy cried, jumping up and running over to Elora as the woman stood.

"Is it true?" She gasped, a mock hurt expression on her face, "why, when have I ever told you a story that wasn't true? Oh, your doubt it hurts. It hurts deep!"

"Well, some of these tales just seem a little tall." The girl giggled, her blonde curls bouncing as the redhead scooped her up and swung her around.

"You have me there, but I guarantee that this story was… 67 percent true."

"67!?"

"Whelp, off to dinner with you! I'll give you a hint, you'll be getting cookies for dessert if you're good!" Holding the door open, the children filed out in a line, with Elora and Nero following at the end. The woman was glowing with happiness, and the emotion was reflected back at him through the bond they shared. Her ability with children was astounding, and it left him aching for things he knew he had no right to. Shutting the door, he followed the woman to the _Endeavor, _a pensive expression on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Phew, another long chapter. Again a way of making up for the distance between updates. Unfortunately I got distracted by the world, and studies have been getting progressively more difficult. **

**As per usual, reviews are always welcome.**

**And also, Nero is not mine.**

Chapter Seven: Dinner With A Nice Glass Of Punch In The Face.

The Sanctum was the premium bar and club of Paradise City. On the outside, it was an obscure little doorway with two huge bouncers on either side. It was built underground with four floors. The first was where the average person went for a bite to eat or a mild drink. Below that, you could find something stronger, with an open dance floor and good music. A lot of people went there to enact business deals or to unwind after a long day. The third floor was where the drinks got stronger, the music louder and the floor employed actual dancers. Not as many people frequented the third floor, and those who did were not to be trifled with. The fourth floor was essentially the VIP lounge, and you had to know somebody to get in there. It was the only level whose patrons were allowed to carry weapons, mainly because of how few were and what they paid to get in.

The Sanctum was owned by a Hyshian named Venaida, and she had the manpower and the strength to keep order in her club, and employed an extensive staff to support the no weapons rule. In order to step foot into even the first floor of the Sanctum, you had to leave your weapons and armor in a locker that was locked with an optical and fingerprint scanner. That way, if a fight did break out it could be neutralized before any real damage happened. Or they just let it run its course, depending on where you were and who you were fighting.

Fortunately for Nero, he was not expected to follow the rest of the crew as they dropped out of the ship to go get a drink. Instead he sat on his bed reading one of the many fictional pieces of literature that filled the ship. He had to admit that it was a decent cruiser with excellent accommodations, and the bed was rather comfortable. But as the evening passed into night, he found that he would soon have to investigate the quality of the food.

Setting down the vid screen, he reluctantly unfolded his legs and stood from the bed. There was a small pressure in the back of his head indicating Elora's presence. As he navigated to the kitchen the pressure eased and the scent of something cooking became stronger. There was a single light on in the kitchen accompanied by the sound of soft humming. Silently stepping into the room he was greeted with the silhouette of Elora bent over the counter, mixing together bread crumbs and different seasonings. Her hair was held back in a loose clip; a few strands escaped the restraint and fell around her face gently. She had an absorbed, peaceful expression on her face as she worked and didn't look up even when he was only a few steps away.

"What are you making?" He asked lightly, fighting laughter when she jumped, flinging the breading across the room.

"Shit you scared the hell out of me! Don't sneak up on me like that." She glared, kneeling down to lift the broken pieces of the small bowl.

"I'm sorry. Here, let me." Taking the shards of glass he threw them in the disposal bin, gathering all of the breading with a small amount of energy. It floated in a small ball just above the counter before drifting down to rest in another bowl.

"Now that my heart rate has regulated, I was going to make parmesan chicken with penne pasta and a rich red sauce. Why, are you hungry?" She asked grumpily, going to the refrigerator and setting out a plate of chicken breasts.

"I could eat." He nodded warily, leaning back against the island counter as the woman moved around.

"Good, then you can help. Start boiling these noodles." Shoving a kettle into his chest, there was a box of pasta unopened inside it. Turning away in dismissal, Elora cracked some eggs into a bowl and started beating them together. Nero fought a small smile at her bossiness, filling the kettle with water and setting it on the stove. As the woman again became engrossed in what she was doing, Nero was allowed a moment to study her profile. She chewed on the bottom of her lip, blue eyes soft and deep with thought as she worked. The bridge of her nose was crooked as though it had been broken, and he noticed a small scar that ran along the edge of her lip. Her face was thin, but she seemed well fed and healthy. Without the armor she wore a black tank top, and tight leggings that fitted her form like a second skin.

"How do you want these?" He asked, flipping on the front burner.

"Al dente, if you don't mind." Setting the chicken aside on a plate, Elora went about chopping up some vegetables. The knife was chopping like a blur, the onions quickly becoming a small pile of fragments. For a few minutes they worked in silence but it was a comfortable silence and Nero was not inclined to try and break it.

"Why didn't you want to go topside?" She asked suddenly, once the chicken was baking over the bed of pasta and sauce.

"Ah, well I enjoy a friendly drink as much as the next guy however I'd rather not be packed in a hot, loud and sweaty box with hundreds of thoughts bouncing through my head about who wants to sleep with whom. Not to mention I couldn't likely go without you and you seemed too tired, making no indication that going topside would have been preferred." He answered, sitting up on one of the tall stools and folding his fingers together.

"I…oh, well that was very considerate of you I suppose. Thank you." Her nose wrinkled in surprise, gaze finding his with a shy smile before falling back to the ground. Nero didn't answer her, too busy analyzing the curious kick of his stomach when the woman had turned her smile to him, blue eyes gentle and confused. He wouldn't be surprised to find that none of her masters had ever taken a moment to consider her personal comfort, and the knowledge of finding someone who had suffered the same degradations as he did filled the man with an unshakable rage.

They had fallen into an awkward silence, Elora fidgeting nervously as she sat across from him constantly looking at the oven. He watched her reach over to fix her hair, following the trail of her arm to the gentle curve of one shoulder. He felt a strange sense of kinship with this woman and after watching the tenderness and care she displayed with the children at the orphanage the anger he'd harbored towards her for his ship had drained out of him. She was a good person that helped others in need and was fiercely protective of those she considered friends. That she was equally as loved was apparent from the uproar the Sentella had been in when she'd gone missing. He remembered that day he'd gone to see Syn and Hauk and they had been even more surly and agitated than normal.

"So tell me something." He began, pausing to form the thoughts spinning through his mind into a structured sentence.

"The ciliate is considered to be one of the most advanced of the prokaryotes being the only one to actually have an anal passage." She answered seriously, bursting out in laughter at his stunned look.

"I'm sorry, what?" The oven went off after that and she hopped off the stool, fetching some blue oven mitts and pulling the door open.

"You told me to tell you something. That's something isn't it?" The scent of baked chicken filled the room, mixing with the rich aroma of the pasta sauce and the bread that was still steaming on the counter.

"While I'm sure that's scientifically _fascinating_," he drawled looking over his shoulder to watch her spooning food on the plate, "it's not what I wanted to know."

"Ah well, it'll be good for making small talk. Wine?" She asked, setting a plate in front of him and pouring a glass of red wine.

"Yes please. What I was going to ask was whether there was any truth to the rumor that the Trisani people originated from you." He nodded gratefully, taking a sip. He was pleased to detect a sweet, fruity taste of the wine. It was aged well, definitely not the cheap stuff.

"Originated from me? Well I should think not, I'm far too young to be the mother of an entire species." She grinned wickedly, slicing into the chicken. At his thoroughly unamused expression she sobered, chewing the chicken thoughtfully.

"It is very possible I suppose. Not from all of us though, most likely the Tiarnas and the Firionbhan society. Time and emotion, they breed during _N__a __C__úplála_. You'll forgive me that I don't know much about this but if I had to hazard a guess I'd say a mutation occurred in some of their children and eventually telepathic capabilities became prominent." Elora had received a full education by Talasairian standards; however that unfortunately did not include discussing the other planets interbreeding. It used to be a big no-no to all of the Eilimhanis people though after they had successfully escaped the dark ages the people had become more liberal with their love. Just, not her people. They were still adamant that it was wrong to mix bloodlines.

"Why only on set days?" Now curious about this strange civilization the questions were more forthcoming.

"Well Tiarna'anam is entirely male. They repress their emotions and more bodily urges for the cold logic and clarity of mind so that they can better control and understand the time stream. As such they must interbreed with the Firionbha people who live on a much smaller planet that orbits their own closely. They are entirely female, representing feelings, emotions and all that jazz. As such their societies don't really mix well the Tiarnas find the Firionbhan to be illogical and foolish, the Firionbhan find the Tiarnas to be… ah," she waved her fork around vaguely fishing for the words, "empty husks of sexy men."

"What a charming image." Hesitantly chewing on a small piece of chicken, Nero was pleasantly surprised at the play of flavor across his tongue. It was actually rather quite good, and he cut off an even larger piece.

"Ah yes, they can be really vocal about such things. So I need to make just one more drop to get rid of the rest of these supplies. After that, I'm yours." She shrugged innocently, her words striking a dissonant chord to him.

"You're not _mine_, Captain Manningham. You don't belong to anyone. This is just a mildly inconvenient partnership." Speaking through gritted teeth he ripped off a chunk of bread and stabbed it into the sauce.

"I've heard that one before. But absolute power corrupts absolutely, so while you may have good intentions now; trust me when I say that they never last." She shrugged bitterly, taking a hearty gulp of the wine. Nero growled, grabbing her wrist in a grip that was as strong as iron yet soft as velvet. Blue eyes flew to his in wild surprise, body tensing and muscles coiling as though ready to flee at a moment's notice. He carefully flipped the hand over so that her palm was facing up to him, a jagged cut slicing across the center of her palm. A silver and ivory cuff slid down her forearm as he studied the limb thoughtfully, the stones glittering in the artificial light overhead.

"As someone who knows firsthand what you've experienced, I assure you I have no intention of controlling you." He murmured softly, fingers tracing lightly along the marred skin. Faint ghosts of pain hit him at the feathery touch, clinging to his mind against his will. Though Elora was quite skilled in shielding her thoughts from him, some experiences left echoes of sensation that he could pick up.

"You were a slave?" She asked incredulously, watching as Nero pushed back the collar of his shirt, exposing a scar that wound around his neck. He braced for sympathy or pity from the woman, but none came. It was his turn to stiffen in surprise when she leaned over the table to gently touch the scarred area.

"A neurocollar?" She spat angrily, the eyes fading from sky blue to a dark shade of navy.

"The most effective way to keep control of my powers." He shrugged, releasing his hold on the woman and returning to the dinner. Elora settled back in her seat and they fell into silence, eating the remainder of the food. Nero noticed the very somber, troubled look on her face, her anger surprising him. How readily she found anger for his behalf, indignant at the suffering inflicted upon others by being robbed of their will. Finishing her dinner she stood and placed the plate in the sink, pulling out the clip and tying her hair back as she began washing it. The poise of her silhouette reminded him of the dream he'd woken from earlier, and the raised and puckered scar on her shoulder was exposed by the tank top she wore. What that black shirt also exposed was a tattoo that rested on her other shoulder. It was written in red and black, the runes identical to the ones that he was quickly beginning to recognize as the written dialect of her people.

"If it is not too personal to ask, what does your tattoo say?" He asked lightly, coming to rinse his cleaned plate beside her, washing it and setting it into a strainer. The peals of her laughter filled the near empty ship once more, and the redhead dried her hands as she began cleaning up.

"It's adorable that you're worried about that being personal." Wiping down the counter, her mouth was turned up in amusement as she worked.

"Does that mean you're going to answer the question?" Crossing his arms in annoyance, he watched the woman with what could only be described as a grumpy expression. Not that she would ever tell him that, men that could kill a person without a passing thought were not referred to as _grumpy_ unless by someone quite suicidal.

"It's the names of my family. The people that I would die for and a reminder that blood isn't what makes family." She answered honestly, gathering the glass and bottle of wine when she finished cleaning the kitchen.

"Ah, I see. Well Captain, I shall see you in the morning I suppose." He nodded, following her out of the room and returning back in the direction of his room.

"If you need me, or get bored being an antisocial hermit, I'll be in the media room watching some movies. You're welcome to join." Nero wasn't quite sure what made him agree—if asked he would claim temporary insanity—but somehow he found himself sitting on a large couch looking at a huge vid screen with some old comedy on. Elora was curled up beside him, a blanket wrapped around her as she forsook the glass and had taken to simply drinking the wine out of the bottle.

And she was _warm._ The solidity of her presence was resonating heat as efficiently as a radial heater, and though she sat entirely in silence he felt comfort at her being there. It was a stupid sensation, and he didn't like that he felt this way but he did. The woman beside him was strong, intelligent and capable, good qualities for anyone to have. It was more than that though; while she was all of those things, she also had a good heart and a sense of humor that had almost made him laugh once or twice. She wasn't someone who acted superior to others because of her status as a captain, but one who treated everybody on her equal. There was no denying that she was lovely, and he realized that he was slowly becoming attracted to her.

_Good idea asshole, _he thought angrily, fists clenching as he tried to subtly distance himself from her. Elora didn't notice, too engrossed in the movie as yet another laugh escaped her. It was a soft, breathy chuckle and he felt himself twitch in response to it. He suspected he really was going insane because at the moment he was entertaining thoughts of his hands buried deep in her hair and her body wrapped tightly around his.

"So that story you told the children, the one about how you met Nykyrian. Is that what really happened?" Filling the air with talk would, hopefully, distract him from the dangerously alluring path his mind was travelling.

"Huh? Oh, no. Not even close. I did steal that gem though, sold it on the black market for food for my sisters. Nykyrian crashed near our home; he was shot up pretty bad and unconscious. We brought him in and nursed him back to health. During that process my youngest sister Nikiah gleaned his past. She's much more attuned to her psychic abilities than the rest of us and so a lot more sensitive. After that, we just kind of stayed friends. We helped him out, he helped us. Somewhere between then and now I became an unofficial member of the Sentella I suppose." She shrugged, frowning when her commlink started buzzing. Pausing the movie Elora put the earpiece on and accepted the call, the smile falling from her face into a serious scowl as her eyes darkened once more.

"What's wrong?" The mood had subtly shifted and even without his powers he could tell that the woman was visibly agitated.

"We need to go to the Sanctum. I just got a call from Venaida that there was a bar fight on level three and Ava is missing." Standing, Elora shut the video off and headed straight to her cabin, movement tense and controlled. Nero followed, heading towards his own room and hastily pulling on his armor. When they met at the port door Elora hadn't gone through the same process as earlier, her face was clean of all but a light layer of makeup and her hair was tied back in the same messy bun as from earlier. And yet he found that the stony set of her face and the livid fury in her eyes were more intimidating.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked, adjusting her hold on the heavy blaster.

"Yeah, we don't have time to wait." He nodded, straightening as the air locks on the doors hissed to life.

"AADI stand by and keep the ship on lockdown until we get back. Anyone comes within thirty feet of this ship without being a part of the crew I want them dead, or maimed." She snapped harshly. Gone was the laughing woman who teased him earlier and in her place was Captain Manningham, a hard woman of tempered steel. Before him was the fierce warrior who had earned the respect of Nemesis and the Sentella, and she was out to draw blood.

"Understood Captain." AADI's voice was cool and controlled as always, and they stepped off the ship to a crowded docking port. The pair strode through the crowds quickly and efficiently, not bothering to pay attention to the crowds that were jostled out of their way. If anyone was offended by their actions, one look at the two heavily armed and armored pair had them swallowing their words. And the one person who had tried to pick a fight was left with a broken arm in a crumpled pile on the ground. Elora had taken his swing in stride, catching the man's wrist and using his momentum to snap his forearm with a sharp crack. He screamed in pain, before being discarded impassively as they continued on.

"Well, that was over quickly." Nero commented, following the woman's purposeful strides.

"That idiot is lucky he wasn't killed." She shook her head wryly, steps slowing as they approached the two bouncers standing on either side of the entrance to the Sanctum.

"Hold. You cannot enter the Sanctum armed." One rumbled, eyes covered by dark glasses as he held out one beefy hand to stop her.

"If one has a sharp wit and ready reflexes one is always armed, no?" She asked softly, passing a folded up piece of paper over to him. The bouncer took it, scanning the words quickly before nodding. His friend pulled open the door to usher them inside.

"Enjoy your night." Nero followed in mild confusion, the music soft and soothing as people enjoyed various meals. There was a hallway that wrapped around the front of the building, separating the main hall from the elevator that led to the lower levels. They rounded the corner, pushing through the crowd that was waiting for the elevator to wait in the front. Everyone seemed to give them a wide berth; armed patrons were incredibly uncommon, but not unheard of.

The elevator music was catchy chromatic tones, completely out of character with the hard, powerful music that was resonating from each floor that they stopped at. Nero closed his mind off to the voices around him, his head starting to ache from the sheer force of their presence. Beside him Elora rubbed her forehead lightly, no doubt experiencing much of the same. After what seemed like hours the elevator stopped on the fourth floor. The view that greeted them was a long, dark hallway. A few people loitered in the hall, wearing numerous levels of bodily protection and speaking quietly amongst themselves. The music was softer here, muted, and as they progressed down the hall he noticed that there were several doors. He expected them to go through the central door which no doubt led to the main suite, but instead Elora led them to a door on the left.

"Luka!" The room was medical, the remaining crew huddled inside with the navigator lying on the bed. There was a bandage around his leg that was stained red with blood, and his face was pale, pinched with pain.

"Oh, hey Captain." He offered weakly, warily eying Nexus who was approaching with a syringe filled with a green fluid.

"Be calm Luka, it is a pain suppressant." The Rugarion offered soothingly, injecting the man.

"What happened?" She asked, voice clipped.

"We were drinking, and Ava pulled me out to dance. Next thing I know a group of people come in and beat the living hell out of us. Even the bouncers had some trouble subduing them, and when we had everything all sorted out she was gone." Jae answered, gaze on the ground.

"I tried to help, but they got me right in the leg." Luka added, attempting to sit up as the pain eased from his features.

"I have absolutely no doubt that you all did everything that you could. Jae, get back to the ship and suit up. I'll talk to Venaida about checking the security cameras." Elora nodded, eyes gentle as she watched her crew.

"No need doll, I can do you one better." They all turned their attention to the woman that had entered the room. She was almost as tall as Jae, her hair falling down her back in thick braids. She commanded an air of feral power and respect, and walked with a confident swagger.

"Vena, it's been awhile. What can you do for me friend?" Elora asked , a small smile curving her lips.

"Two doors down we apprehended one of the mercenaries. A locked door with two guards on either side. And don't even think about asking me the code. I'll never tell you that its seven—three—five—nine." Feigning innocence, the Hyshian hugged the redhead in a familiar fashion, placing a light kiss on either cheek.

"I wouldn't dream of compromising you like that." Elora responded, lips pulling back into a dark grin.

"Good, because you know I don't approve bloodshed in my club. Though, if one were to get in that room I would ask that they cleaned up when they were done." Dark eyes hard, Venaida then turned her attention to Nexus and Luka.

"And you better take care of that boy doctor; he's one of my favorites." Winking lightly at the human who now had a blush across his face, the woman turned and left gone as quickly as she'd come.

"As vaguely disturbing as it is that you're her boy toy Luka, she does have a point. You rest up while we go find Ava." Pressing a gentle kiss to the younger man's forehead—making him turn a darker shade of red—Elora chuckled as they left the room.

"So… how exactly are you going to do this?" Nero inquired lightly, following her to the room in question.

"I'm going to take the thoughts out of his mind. Quick, painless and efficient." She answered calmly, nodding to the two guards and punching in the code. As soon as the two men left, her eyes turned red and her teeth flashed in a vicious smile. "And then I'm going to make him bleed."

The man in question sat in a metal chair, his hands bound to the legs and a table in front of him. He looked up defiantly at her approach, spitting in disgust. Elora looked down at the fluid that had landed at her feet, face blank as she turned her attention towards him. She slung the blaster over her back, placing her hands on either side of the table and leaning into it.

"I'm going to be brief with you. I don't take kindly to people coming at my crew, and I really don't like when you draw blood. Now, you are going to tell me who you work for, and where my engineer is. I'm just giving you the option of doing it willingly or not." Voice flat and emotionless, her blue eyes were locked on the man's dull hazel ones.

"Fuck you bitch, I'm not telling you anything." He snarled, spitting at her again. This time it hit her in the face, and Nero felt a white hot flash of anger. Stepping forward, he hit the man across the face, satisfied at the broken skin. Elora calmly cleaned her face off, straightening and coming around the table with a winning smile on her face.

"That's admirable of you, really it is. You don't want to betray your people, I understand. But here's the thing," She shrugged, eyes flashing red, "you don't really have a choice."

"What the hell?! Get away!" Thrashing and struggling, the mercenary went stock still when she placed both hands on either side of her face. Her method of extracting information was not necessary, she could have done it without contact, but the added pressure had frightened the idiot which was no doubt her intention. She pulled back a moment later, a satisfied expression on her face as the man panted heavily.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Turning her attention to Nero, he felt her conscious probing his gently and he opened up his mind slightly. Information passed between them, Elora transferring the memories she had just taken to him. During this exchange they were silent, and the woman had slowly pulled off one of her gloves.

"But, unfortunately for you, my navigator is currently stuck in bed because of an injury sustained by you. Of course you realize that reparations must be made." Hand closed into a fist, she drove it straight into his stomach, before punching him hard across the face. There was a sickening crunch, blood spurting out of his broken nose and causing him to wail in pain. Wiping her hand, she pulled the glove back on and made for the door. Once outside, the calm façade faded to a very troubled expression.

"So, you obviously know this mercenary group." Falling into step beside her, the woman's mind was closed off once more.

"You remember when we were up at the orphanage? The Red Stones were trying to shake Leah down for protection money, and I scared them off. It seems they held a grudge." She answered, making her way out of the club. Jae was waiting outside, pacing nervously as he kept checking his weapons. When he spotted them he was by their side in an instant, falling into step as they made their way down the street.

"Those idiots." He growled a moment later, no doubt sharing thoughts with Elora.

"My thoughts exactly. Jae, I want to play a game. Do you think we should invite our mercenary friends to join?" She grinned innocently, making the other man laugh.

"You know I always like your games Captain." As Nero followed behind, he was disturbed by the jealousy he felt observing their closeness. He stomped the sensation out, frowning in distaste as they went down a derelict alley, searching for the mercenaries' base.

Translations:

_N__a __C__úplála_—The Coupling, a proper noun and akin to a holy day.

(**A/N: So, we will now be getting into a bit of a conflict here, le gasp! Also Nero is starting to get feels, and how will he react to that? Only time will tell! Bum bum buuuuuum!)**


	8. Update

Hey guys,

Sorry that it's taken so long to get chapter eight up. It's been a really hard chapter for me to wrap my head around writing wise, and there have been a lot of distractions, mainly from my school. But, I have figured out how I want to set up the chapter, and so I should be updating it by the weekend at the latest.

So semester is ending and at the moment I'm neck deep in finals and moving out. Hopefully this summer will be much more productive for me.

Anyway, thanks to all of the people who have favorited and followed. And to my reviewers, just know that your words have motivated me to get my ass in gear.

Much love,

Adara.


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